


These Dreams

by WynnaPendragon



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Bartender Sam Winchester, Dreams, Drug Use, Former drug abuse, Gratuitous Singing, Grief, Lots of Angst, M/M, Mechanic Dean, Multi, Romance, Singer Lucifer, Some Fluff, altered memory, dad jokes, more tags to come, song title chapters, widower
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-19
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2018-12-04 02:20:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 56,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11545434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WynnaPendragon/pseuds/WynnaPendragon
Summary: The Darkness decided to reward Dean in a way that was totally unexpected. Waking up with no memory of his hunting days, Dean has a pretty normal life...until he starts dreaming, and then all Hell breaks loose.Sam is recovering from rock bottom and is living with Dean. Trying to enjoy life again with the help of his best friend Gabriel, he is completely shook when he meets his best friend's older brother, Lucifer. Then the dreams of demons, pain and the Devil begin haunting him every night.





	1. The Road So Far

_**The Road So Far....** _

_Unimaginable power beat and festered inside his chest as his very universe hung in the balance, and he could do nothing but stare as God was restored to his former glory._

_God._

_Fixed up easy as you please by a celestial being the human was bound to._

_His **sister**. _

_God had a sister._

_And he's just watching them reunite like its just another Thursday._

_Sadly in their line of work, of course its NBD._

_They smile at each other and God looks sheepishly his way, "I think we're just gonna go...away for a while."_

_He breathed out a laugh incredulously, "Yeah- family meeting- I get it." And boy did he need a 'family meeting' of his own. They really needed a vacation from all of this, like some ounce of normal. Cause God? The Apocalypse? **Again**? Maybe take a break. Like a really long break. _

_"But first-" a smirk and a hand to his chest, sucking the power- the fucking **bomb** \- back into God. "Better?" _

_'No' he wanted to say, "What about us? What about Earth?" What about Heaven? Lucifer? The other angels? Cause as soon as God leaves- again- who knows what was going to come crashing through their door._

_"Earth'll be fine," Chuck- er, God- said with utter conviction, "Its got you. And Sam."_

_As the shorter being walked away all he could do was gape. 'Seriously?!' All he could do was just stand there as the two celestial beings joined hands. How in the Hell were they going to be able to defend the planet in God's stead?_

_"Dean," the Darkness paused, "You gave me what I needed most. I want to do the same for you." As he tried to wrap his mind around what just went down, they disappeared in clouds of white and black smoke, curled around each other as they left Earth._

_' **WE'LL BE IN TOUCH**.' _

* * *

12:00 a.m. Lawrence, Kansas

Dean woke suddenly from a sound sleep, disoriented and groggy. For a second, he couldn't place exactly why he awoke or why he fell asleep on the couch instead of his own bed, or the weird sense of deja vu creeping down his spine. Judging by the infomercial on the tv screen it had to be late. He was startled out of his daze as he heard a soft grunting and then a piercing cry from the other room.

_Emma_ , he remembered and hurried to his infant daughter's room in panic. He stopped in the doorway as he saw a tall figure standing in front of her crib, and reached behind his back to grip his gun- wait. His brow furrowed but before he could do anything, the figure turned around to face him. "Sam," he breathed, instant relief flooding his system. He sagged against the doorway weakly, "When did you get home?"

His little brother grinned down at the little bundle in his arms, and rocked her from side to side, "About an hour ago. Ellen sent me home. It was pretty dead tonight, so there was no reason for me to be there." His gaze flicked to Dean and then back to Emma, "You were passed out so I didn't want to wake you up. You alright, dude? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Dean straightened and ran a hand through his hair, he couldn't really explain the utter terror that ripped through him when he came upon the nursery, "I don't know, man. Weird dream I guess. I can take it from here."

Sam pulled a face while bouncing the lightly fussing baby gently, "I'll be up for a while, its no big deal. Besides, you looked like hell warmed over." His brows arched at the snort that erupted from the shorter man, "Seriousy, Dean. You're kind of delirious, you should get some shut-eye. I'll wake you if I need you."

The older man nodded, he hadn't had much sleep in the last- what was it now? Six weeks? Yeah, he nodded, six weeks. Almost two months since his world turned upside down. Again. Lucky he had Sam with him, even though his little brother had his own shit going on. It had been a very long time since he looked after a baby and even then his father was at least coherent enough to tend to the late night feedings. He realized now that he was older than his dad was while taking care of two kids. Dean could handle it, he just needed some rest.

He gave Emma a good night kiss and patted Sam's arm in thanks before shuffling to his room to get at least a few hours of sleep.

He was unconscious before his head hit the pillow.


	2. Carry On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Early morning talks over coffee. Brother drama.

**Chapter Two**

6:00 a.m.

Floor boards creaking and a sleepy groan heralded his older brother's arrival into their shared kitchen. Sam glanced up from stirring his coffee and caught his Dean blinking owlishly at him. He nodded silently to a cup already filled with his coffee just how he liked it- black like his soul- and fought a grin as Dean folded around the ceramic mug with a grunt. They stayed like that, drinking silently and relishing the few moments of blessed silence.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Dean asked quietly as he leaned a hip against the counter, cradling his coffee to his chest and relishing the heat.

"Because you looked like death?" Sam snorted then shrugged, "Look you can't stay up all night and work all day. You need sleep."

Dean huffed, "Says you. How much sleep have you gotten this week? Pot and kettle, Sammy."

The younger man rolled his eyes, trust Dean to turn his concern around on him. He was always great at deflection when it came to his personal well-being. Sam crossed his ankles and sighed, "You know I don't sleep much and besides, we're not talking about me."

"You might not be talking about you, but I'm talking about you." He paused as if making sure that made sense. Tired Dean was a linguistic genius. "I'm allowed to worry."

"Maybe," Sam relented, "but now you have more important things to worry about besides me. You need to unload a little. I'm a grownup Dean, I can take it." Silence dropped like a lead weight and he suspected that maybe those weren't quite the words he should have used.

He could distinctly recall saying nearly the same thing not too long ago and he most certainly couldn't take anything back then. The remembrance of how much of a shit-storm his life was up until a few years ago pushed to the forefront of his mind. It took Dean intervening at Sam's lowest point for him to get where he was now. That wasn't to say that Dean's life wasn't messy but at least it wasn't to the extent of hospitalization, so by all accounts it looked like he could function a hell of a lot better than his little brother by comparison. Opting to change the subject Sam leaned his back against the counter, "What are your plans for today? Cas coming over?"

Dean shrugged, "Not really sure. Cas has Claire this weekend for his birthday, he wants to take things slow with us."

"That's understandable but its not like she's never met you."

"Not how we are now." He never suspected that when his brother met Cas that they would get together. At the time, the man was married with a kid, and Dean for all he knew was perfectly straight. Sam couldn't deny seeing something going on between them, hell a blind man could see the smoldering heat between the two. However, no matter how his older brother felt, Dean was determined to stay friends. Which caused many a late night bonding sessions between the two brothers involving a lot of drinking, chick flick moments, and weirdly enough tacos. Which did not make for a pleasant morning. Castiel felt differently though, and his already rocky marriage crumbled. Dean wasn't sure how Claire felt about him and the situation in general and Sam supposed it was nothing good even though they were pretty close for a while. Amelia downright blamed Dean for all of it and made it difficult for them to be together when Caire was in town. Dean rubbed his face roughly, "I guess Amelia isn't too keen on Claire being around me. What about you?"

Sam saw the subject change for what it was, and he couldn't really blame him. "Spending the day with Gabe," he said as he stretched, "Getting the stuff he needs for Cas' party."

Dean shook his head and snorted, "I really don't know what you see in that guy."

The younger man shrugged, "He's funny, niceish and-"

"Also married."

The hell?

Sam pulled a face at Dean, shocked that he was actually going there, "You think I don't know that? We're friends Dean, not sleeping together. And thanks for investigating my relationships so subtley. Like you're one to talk."

Dean straightened and put his mug down to fold his arms in front of him, his face stony. Ah the classic 'I mean business so listen up' stance. Sam was starting to get a bit tired of it. "Its because I'm your older brother and my experience that went down with Cas that makes me 'investigate' your shit. I don't want you to go down that same road, even if the dude is a nice guy. It'll only end up in heartache and pain. You need to find someone unattached that you can have fun with, dude or not."

Okay so Sam wasn't expecting Dean to be so understanding, although he really wished his brother would just listen to him and take his words at face-value and not project his history on his little brother's relationships- friendships. Sam rolled his eyes and groaned in frustration, "How can I convince you that I'm not interested in him? Gabe, really? The dude lives on sugar and innuendo."

"In your endo," Dean snorts and then sobers, "Look, I've seen the way you act when you two are around each other. You don't act as platonic as you say and eventually its going to come up. I don't want you to get hurt again."

"I don't know what to tell you Dean." Sam sighed wearily, "We're just friends. Just leave it." With that, the younger Winchester launched himself from the counter and padded to his room, gently shutting the door so as not to wake his niece. He fell face first into his bed and growled his frustration into his pillow. He knew full well what it looked like on the outside and honestly he couldn't explain why he felt so close to the other man. The short guy pretty much weaseled himself into Sam's life when they met at Gabe's coffeeshop. What started out as weekly hangouts progressed into daily casual therapy sessions. The guy had such an easy-going and relaxed manner belying a hard perspective side that forced the younger man to be as honest as he could be around the guy. Honestly Sam didn't know why Gabe actually wanted to be in his company, but he refused to over-analyze the friendship. No matter what his brother may think, that is exactly what it was for Sam. Gabe was his best friend apart from Dean and he wasn't going to jeopardize that like his brother did. The risks don't always turn out well for everyone.

The sudden chirp from his phone pulled him out of his introspection and grinning, he read the text.

`G-Man: Gonna be a bit late for our coffee date kiddo. Gotta unload the monsters.`

Meaning his three year old twin boys, Uriel and Raphael. Sam snorted, knowing full well how crazy they could act. His brow furrowed at a sudden thought. Jo watched the neighborhood kids during the week but was unable to watch any of them that day due to her promise to help her friend Charlie move into her dorm. Which was why Dean had Emma all day. `-Who are you inflicting those heathens onto? `

`G-Man:Luci.`

At that Sam paused. He heard some stories about Gabe's older brother- some that couldn't possibly be true- but had never met the man. Last he heard, he was living in Delaware.` -That's a long way to drive for child care.`

Not three minutes later he was getting a call from the man. He accepted it to hear Gabriel ask, _"The hell are you smoking Samsquatch?"_

Sam rolled to lay his head on the pillow and stared at his ceiling, "Doesn't your brother live in Delaware? That's a hella long drive."

_"Okay one: we are not in the early two thousands Sam, you're not making 'hella' happen again and two: he moved back last week."_

Sam frowned, so that's why they didn't hang out at all last week. It was just as well since he had to work overtime at the bar but they usually at least texted each other. Since it was basically radio silence for that week he thought he said or did something to bother the other guy the last time they went drinking together. "Oh, why didn't you tell me dude? I would've helped."

 _"Aww, as sweet as that offer is I'm afraid my big bro is a hopeless old hermit crab-"_ Sam pulled the phone away at the sudden squawk and background protest, _"I mean he's perfectly tame but doesn't enjoy strangers as much as I do."_

Sam laughed, "You have no idea what that sounded like."

_"Oh, believe me I do, buttercup. Listen, I'm just going to be a few minutes here and then I'll come get you. Sound good?"_

"Yeah I just got to grab a shower and change, it won't take too long."

He heard a snort on the other end of the line, _"Yeah right. You gotta give that beautiful mane the care it deserves, I doubt it will be quick. And since you'll be hanging out with my sexy self all day I'm sure you're gonna have to rub one out to relieve all that tension."_

"Oh my God you are disgusting, goodbye."

_"Tootles!"_

Sam didn't know why he hung out with that pervert.

* * *

 

6:30 a.m.

Gabriel pulled up in front of his older brother's new house and yawned, it was too damn early to be awake and he felt only the tiniest bit guilty he was going to inflict his spawn upon Lucifer but he didn't really have much of a choice. Kali was out of town on a business trip, Jo had a prior engagement, and after the argument he had with Castiel the only other option was the older man. And there was no way in hell he could trust his patience with carting around two three year olds through multiple stores all damn day. It would make him want to get blackout drunk and people tended to frown on such things in the middle of the day. Not that Lucifer minded much, he loved kids and especially doted upon the toddlers.

He looked into the rearview mirror at the sleepy children and used his best Dad Voice, "Now I want you two to be on your best behavior today, alright? Uncle Lu is doing daddy a favor and I don't want him to get spooked the first time watching the two of you. Capiche?"

All they did was blink back at him. They were playing possum and he knew it, the two hooligans gave him the worst wake-up call imaginable by using his bed as a trampoline not even an hour ago. He hoped his brother was up for this, because Gabriel was dog tired. It wasn't as if he couldn't handle the two, it just made it easier to have some kind of support. Also it would be nice to go to the bathroom in peace without having little grabby hands under the door or the flood of questions while he was trying to take a piss.

With a fortifying breath he exited the vehicle to unbuckle the twins. It helped that Raphael was already in the process of doing so while Uriel was being as stubborn as usual. "Come on, buddy. You can go back to sleep when we get inside. I'm sure Uncle Lu has Mickey Mouse on or something."

Without any further trouble he walked up to the cheery footpath to the door and knocked firmly. He didn't have to wait too long until he heard a shuffling and then the door opened to a bleary eyed older brother. He couldn't help the laugh, "Oh honey. Don't you look precious."

His blond hair sleep rumpled, thick black glasses, a gray cardigan over the standard white shirt and sweats, his older brother looked adorable as hell. Even though he flipped him the bird and muttered a 'fuck off' after letting them through the threshold. Without a pause the toddlers kicked off their shoes into the pile near the door and shuffled over to the large green couch in the living room to curl up in the plaid blanket that was neatly folded over the back and settled in to watch the movie that was currently playing on the tv screen before them.

"Moana?"

"Yeah I wasn't sure if they saw it or not."

Gabriel nodded, "A couple times but they haven't got bored of it yet. Coffee?"

"Mm." The other man motioned him into the kitchen and got out a mug. Gabriel hopped up on the counter opposite of him and watched as Lucifer made him his coffee on seemingly auto pilot.

He looked tired. He saw the dark circles under his eyes the minute he opened the door. Gabriel had hoped he was taking his medication like he should be but it looked like the older man was stubbornly trying to power through the new home jitters. At least he hoped it was just that.

"Stop that."

"Stop what?" Gabe asked innocenty.

Lucifer shot him a look, "You're staring. Its off putting."

The shorter man shrugged, "Just looking at you is all. What? I can't look at you?"

"Not like that."

"Like what?"

Lucifer huffed, "Like I'm going to break at any second."

Gabriel made a face, "How much sleep have you had?"

The other man shrugged, "Enough. Don't worry, I can handle the boys."

"I know you can. I completely trust you with them, you know that. I'm just worried about you. Have you been taking your medication?"

Lucifer set Gabriel's coffee on the counter beside him firmly, "Yes, mom. Want to count them to make sure?"

"Jesus what bit your ass this morning?"

His brother rubbed the back of his neck, "Nothing. Just-odd dreams. That shit the doctor gave me knocks me out usually but ever since moving here its just been weird."

"Weird as in?"

Lucifer frowned, "Hard to explain."

"Try me."

His brother's gaze flicked to the children on the couch and motioned for Gabe to follow him outside. Interesting. He wondered what exactly his older brother saw and took the rare opportunity to listen to him open up. He hopped off the counter and followed the taller brother through the sliding glass door to the patio. The fresh and chilly morning air held promise of a beautiful day, the early morning sun gilding the flowers around the deck and leaves on the trees with a golden glow. The birds tweeted cheerfully, and the soft lapping of the water from the nearby lake made being out in the backyard completely peaceful. He watched Lucifer angle his chair so he could have a clear view of the kids inside, then lit up a cigarette.

Blowing out the acrid smoke he began, "Like its not just one thing. Its a lot. And I'm not sure how to make sense of it." He flicked his ash into the tray in front of him and looked over at Gabe, "These dreams feel so fucking real, that its like they're not just dreams. And believe me, I know how crazy that sounds."

"What are you seeing?"

Lucifer frowned and took a drag, "More like feeling at first. Like there's this weight on my back, but like they're my arms, only my arms are beside me. So, wings? I guess? Must be because it feels like I'm flying. Only its so real. The air rushing over my skin, through my hair and its exhilarating. But not because my wings are **burning**. And I can feel it. There's nothing to do to stop it, like I can't stop- its like I'm free falling. Everything gets dark and there's a thousand, million, billion voices screaming all around me and I'm terrified. I can't say anything and as soon as I think 'make it stop' it just does. I crash and there's this silence, like this void and I can't see or hear anything. My wings are still burning and right when I have that thought that they'll never stop burning, I wake up." He blew out a breath and took another drag, looking over at Gabriel steadily, "Tell me I'm crazy."

Fuck.

Gabriel wasn't going to tell him a damn thing. There was nothing he could say that would make his older brother feel better at all, but at least he could be a sounding board. He scrubbed a hand down his face and offered a weak chuckle, "And here I thought you had a wet dream about Dean."

"Oh don't make me barf."

"Hey he's a good looking fella. His little brother too, oh and speaking of, hold on a mo." He held up a finger and shot a quick text. Looking up at Lucifer's curious face he explained, "I'm roping Sam along with me to get the rest of the stuff for tomorrow. I need his brawny arms for the heavy lifting."

"Is he coming to the party?"

"That depends," Gabriel started casually, "You mind him coming to the party? I assure you he's good people."

Lucifer shrugged, "He's Dean's little brother. I'm sure he knows Cas. And its not like I'm hosting the party or anything, I'm just providing the space."

"That's the definition of hosting, bro."

"No its not."

"Is too."

"Is not."

"Is too- okay, I'm not going to argue with you. You're not you until you've had your whole pot of coffee."

Lucifer stuck his tongue out at him, his dual barbells glinting in the sunlight. Why he kept them Gabriel had no idea. The piercings were the last remnant of his teenage rebellion but at almost forty he was sure Lucifer would have taken them out. He was shaken out of his thoughts as he received a reply text. He answered his young friend back indicating that Lucifer was going to watch his kids while they shopped. Almost immediately the younger Winchester fired back the weirdest response back.

"Something wrong?"

Gabriel looked up and noticed Lucifer was watching him curiously. He shook his head, "I gotta make a call real quick. By all means, keep smoking your death stick."

"Will do."

He didn't have to wait long for Sam to pick up, "The hell are you smoking Samsquatch?"

Lucifer made a face and mouthed 'Samsquatch' in question. Gabriel shrugged and then cackled at Sam, "Okay one: we are not in the early two thousands Sam, you are not going to make 'hella' happen again." It was worth it to hear Lucifer choke on the smoke in mirth, "and two: he moved back last week." There was a pause and Gabriel shifted in his seat, glad that Lucifer's attention was on the kids and not him.

It wasn't as if he was avoiding Sam per se, it was just that he was busy with work, family and helping Lucifer move back home that got it the way with hanging out with the other man. Not that things got weird the last time they hung out.

Not at all.

Right.

At the younger mans belated offer to help, Gabriel warmed, "Aww, as sweet as that offer is I'm afraid my big bro is a hopeless old hermit crab-" he squawked as a slippered foot nudged him none too gently in the knee.

"Dickhead!"

"I mean he's perfectly tame but doesn't enjoy strangers as much as I do." He flipped his brother off sweetly. He grinned, "Oh, believe me I do, buttercup. Listen, I'm just going to be a few minutes here and then I'll come get you. Sound good?" At Sam's response he snorted, that kid practically treated his hair like his own child. He'd be lucky if the kid was ready and waiting by the time he arrived. "Yeah right. You gotta give that beautiful mane the care it deserves, I doubt it will be quick. And since you'll be hanging out with my sexy self all day I'm sure you're gonna have to rub one out to relieve all that tension."

At Lucifer's 'what the fuck??' look and Sam's goodbye he grinned, "Tootles!"

As he ended the call he noticed his older brother's eyes boring into him. "What?"

"Seriously?"

He waved a hand, "Harmless flirting I swear. Besides, he's too young for me."

"And your married."

Gabriel shrugged, "That too. Trust me, there's nothing going on there. He's a good friend of mine that I enjoy making uncomfortable."

Lucifer nodded, "Just as long as he knows the score. I don't want another clusterfuck like with Cas."

Gabriel folded his arms and looked at his brother's equally serious face, "Now listen here, bucko. I love Kali, she's my One. There's nothing and no one that will ever come between us. I would never risk my family over anyone, even Sam. He's a real catch but not for me."

"Okay."

He cocked an eyebrow challengingly, "Okay?"

"Got it."

"Good." Gabriel took a drink of his now cold coffee, "Your coffee is awful."

Lucfer rolled his eyes, "It was just fine a few minutes ago but you were too busy talking to your boyfriend to drink it."

Gabriel winked at him, "Jealous much?" Lucifer only snorted. Gabriel was a little non-plussed that he didn't say anything more. And wasn't that weird? "You okay?"

His brother shook himself and stretched, making a weird face and an equally weird noise in his throat, "'M fine. A little insulted that my coffee isn't up to your hoity toity standards but fine."

"I can't believe you just said hoity toity."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, comments and concrit make me happy. Enjoy
> 
> Edit: I was getting super tired of all the bold print for the texting, 'cause I've forgotten ALL of my coding from back in the day, so I went and learned a few things....and re-learned some things. So hopefully it will look better.


	3. Call Me Maybe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shopping. Kitchens. Lots of backstory. Also some light smuttige. Enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title comes from Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe". Don't you dare judge me.

It didn't take Sam long to get himself ready, as predicted. Sure, he took a little longer on his hair than he usually would, but it took him years to get it to the length and style he wanted that he knew looked good. It made for some pretty awkward years and a lot of chases around their motel room with the clippers, but it was all worth it. He put down his blow dryer- stop laughing- and looked at the finished product. After running his hands through his hair to tame some wild strands he straightened up.

 _Omg I'm gay as hell_. He rolled his eyes at himself and left his bathroom, thankful that the other door leading to Dean's room remained shut. After their little argument in the kitchen earlier that morning the last thing he needed was for his older brother to bust in and catch him 'primping'. Not his fault he wanted to look good. He was tired of not really taking care of himself and now that he was in a good place for once he was for sure going to take advantage of that.

He stopped in front of his closet and considered his options, which were almost nil. He sighed and went to his chest of drawers instead and pulled out the standard jeans, socks, underwear and tossed them on his bed and then-

 _Its going to be a hot day_ , his lips thinned. He was going to be uncomfortable that was for sure. But what was he going to do? He rubbed his arm where he could feel the scars from his former lost days. Gabe wouldn't say anything, he was oddly enough pretty tactful when it came to his friend's shortcomings. Then again, he was going outside where there were people and the last time the stares were more than enough, thank you. _Fuck it, I'll just be hot_. He pulled down a white and black flannel and a black v-neck and threw them on his bed as well.

It took him less than three minutes to throw everything on and to stomp into his well-worn sneakers. He rolled up the sleeves just enough to cover what he needed and put on some cologne. He knew Gabriel was going to do his trademark over-exaggerated coughing at what he called 'dude-bro juice' but if Sam wore anything else, he knew Gabe would give him more shit. So it was lesser of two evils. He opened the door and stuck his head out, just to check the environment.

Dean was sitting on the couch with Emma in his arms, chit chatting to the baby about the show they were watching. Which was...Dr.Sexy MD, how could Sam have guessed. Sam rolled his eyes, his brother was the biggest fanboy for that show, and the younger man didn't know why. How could Dean give him shit about Harry Potter and still have the balls to watch the trashiest show on daytime tv?

"Now see, that's Dr. Wang. The sexy yet arrogant heart surgeon," Emma sqwauks, "Yeah I know, I didn't like the character at first but she grows on you in season three."

Sam grinned as he walked over to the fridge to get a bottle of water, "Hey I'll be leaving here soon. Is there anything you need me to pick up for tonight?"

"Uhh," Dean tried to think and bounce Emma at the same time, "She's getting a little low on formula if you wouldn't mind picking that up. I'll pay you back when you get home, I gotta get money out anyway."

"Sure thing," the younger man answered back easily, "And I won't forget the pie."

Dean snorted, "Dude you always forget the pie. Actually-" he shot a look over the couch proudly, "I'm gonna **make** some pie. Ellen gave me the recipe to that one she made for the fourth of July."

"The brown sugar apple?" Sam made a mental list of what they had in their cupboards, "Okay so you need apples, and brown sugar. Just text me what kind of apples you need, I think she puts a certain kind in."

"Will do."

Sam walked over to the table by the door that held their keys and wallets, and fished out what he needed. Before he opened the door he heard Dean call him, "And Sammy?"

"Yeah?"

"Say 'hi' to Gabe for me." It was the best 'I'm sorry' he was ever going to get unless his brother was drunk, and he flat out refused to have any more than one beer while he had Emma. Taking the apology for what it was he gave him a nod and wave.

Gabriel had just pulled up in his SUV as he walked off of the porch, unrolling the passenger seat window, "Get in loser, we're going shopping."

Sam cackled and piled in, "You know for someone who's almost forty you use a surprising amount of Mean Girls quotes."

"You're point being?"

Sam shrugged as he buckled his seat belt, "Just surprising is all."

"You've known me forever, and this surprises you?" He asks mildly as he pulled away from the curb. "Heavens, just you wait til you wait until you meet Lu. You'll either never speak to me again or jump his bones at every opportunity."

"What."

Gabriel shrugged and kept his eyes on the road, "Just saying. We're pretty close, most of my personality comes from him and Cinemax."

Sam snorted, "Can't wait."

"Mmhm."

Sam's brow furrowed as he looked at the shorter man. He seemed pretty off, his movements alone belied tension. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. Shitty coffee, I had. More I must get."

The younger man's hazel eyes narrowed, "You're making that face."

A huff, "Face? What face?"

"You're making that," Sam made a circular gesture over his own, "weird baggage face. Like someone kicked your puppy and your angry but resigned to it."

That garnered a laugh, "That's an oddly specific face, Sambo." He sobered, "I don't know. I guess I'm just worried about Lu is all. Seems like he's going way out of his comfort zone with just moving here and hosting Cas' party that I think he's taking on too much too fast."

"He's a big boy I'm sure he can handle it."

Gabriel sighed, "Puddin', you haven't even met him. You have no idea the ball of nerves that is my brother."

Sam rubbed the back of his neck, "That bad huh?"

"You could say that." Gabe shook himself, "I'm probably just worrying over absolutely nothing and he'll be just fine when we drop the stuff off today. I just hope the twins don't make him want to maim me." They arrived at the grocery store in record time, finding a spot right beside a cart corral and near the front of the store. It was odd, every time he rolled with Gabriel the shorter guy was always able to find prime parking spaces. He definitely wasn't going to complain at all, for the young man knew they'd be making quite a haul. Grabbing their cart and entering the blessidly air-conditioned store they both breathed a sigh of relief. Sam shook his head and ruffled his hair slightly, reveling in the cool air blowing through the chesnut strands. He looked down at his friend who watched with a completely non-plussed expression, "What?"

"Nothing at all," He took his sunglasses off and hooked them into the neck of his shirt, "Fabio."

"Shut up and push the cart, you jerk."

They made quick work of buying their supplies: a tremendous amount of ground beef, hot dogs, and chicken. They threw in condiments, bacon, cheese, buns of both variety, chips of all flavors, and coffee nut m&ms. At Sam's look, Gabriel grinned, "He has an unhealthy obsession with them. I swear he's a child."

"Oh, don't think I didn't miss the Skittles, or Jolly Ranchers."

Gabriel flapped a dismissive hand at him, "Those are for the drinks not for me."

"I thought it was just going to be beer or something?"

Gabriel cackled as he steered them over to the liquor area, "Oh Samantha are you in for a treat." With that he put a few bottles of vodka, bourbon, whiskey and a few cases of...Zima?

"Are we in Saved By The Bell right now?" Sam asked, looking around cautiously.

Gabriel paused after jamming the third case under the basket, then made a face, "What? No! Tch, this you **philistine** is an awesome beverage that has many a drunkin' memories. So when I sees it, I buys it. 'S what the Skittles are for."

Sam rolled his eyes as he followed the shorter man through the produce section, "I fail to see the appeal."

Gabe huffed, "Have you ever tried it? No, of course not because you, my dear sweet lumberjack, would have been far too young for this stuff."

"I'm only a few years younger than you, dick."

"Oh ho ho," the other man chuckled, "Have I mentioned that my older brother raised us after our dad split? Lu was not a total saint let me tell you. There were many a nights he and I would be hammering that shit down and playing- no."

"'No'? That a new game I never heard about?"

"'No' as in, I'm not going to tell you what we were playing. Suffice it to say it was a game and that if I ever breathed a word about it, Luci will eat my face off." Gabe set his sights on picking out the very best tomatoes the store had to offer.

"Oh well now I need to know."

The shorter man turned around, "Oh baby, tell me how much you need it." He winked at the taller man as an older couple hurried past and shot them a glare.

Sam coughed and checked his phone that suddenly chirped, _thank God_. **-Ellen said Granny Smith apples.** Sam nodded and shot his brother back a confirmation, "I need to get Granny Smith apples. Dean's baking a pie."

"He better be bringing that shit to the party. Loves me some pie."

"Gag."

Gabe grabbed a dozen of the aforementioned apples and proceeded to swing by the baby section, "Dean said Em needed formula right?"

"Yeah, that gentle stuff," Sam plucked it off the shelf, "but i don't see how 'gentle' it really is. She hasn't been having the best time, eating wise."

"Dean take her to the doctor?" He grabbed a twin pack of lidded cups off of the display in front of him and chucked them into the cart.

"Three times, and each time its 'have you been giving her gas drops or gripe water?' and 'let's see if this stuff will work'. She went from that Neo Sure, to Soy- which smelled pretty okay until she threw it up- and now she's on this Gentle stuff. Kind of eased up but not by much."

Gabe made a noise, "Oh I remember those days. Sounds like to me the doctor should switch her to that Alimentum stuff. That trash smells and tastes like Cheezits."

Sam barked a laugh as they approached the checkouts, "And how would you know that?"

"Nothing goes into my kids' mouths that we haven't smelled and tasted. So many horror stories of babies getting poisoned from faulty factory equipment and spoilage. The boys had to go on that stuff because Raphael has acid reflux and Uriel...well it was probably the same thing. Honestly, the first year was a blur of 'oh how cute's and 'please don't puke on me anymore's."

"Babies are weird."

* * *

 

Dean was startled out of a light doze on the couch by a knock at the door. He scrubbed his face roughly and stumbled to the door, cursing the rug for tripping him. Not that his body was taking a little longer than his brain to wake up, really. That rug had it out for him the minute he placed it in their sanctuary, it was constantly watching, just waiting for Dean to be distracted before catching his feet and sending him sprawling. Someday they are going to have it out, but not this day. Dean really had to get the door.

He grabbed the handle and reached behind his back to grip-what, this again? Why was he doing that? Rolling his eyes and shaking his head he looked through the peephole to see Castiel on the other side waiting patiently, his bright blue eyes skating over the porch leisurely. Dean grinned brightly and threw open the door, "Hey Cas! I didn't think you'd be free today."

A warm smile stretched over the shorter man's face, "Dean." He closed the distance between the two and cupped his cheek before giving him a light peck on the lips. Moving back, he grinned as Dean's eye fluttered, "Claire dropped me off. She was anxious to go see Lucifer, I guess he's helping her with her choir audition."

Dean led them into the kitchen, because everyone ended up in the kitchen at some point and his mouth felt like a desert. "But school doesn't start for another month."

Castiel leaned against the counter behind him, facing Dean who was pouring coffee into two mugs. He shrugged, "She's serious about it, and wants to make sure she gets in. They have a new choir director so we're hoping there's not going to be anymore bias."

Oh Dean remembered the last three years of that fiasco vividly. It broke his heart every single time the little blonde girl came home crying because she was never accepted into the program. Which Dean thought was utter bullshit, because he heard Claire sing the rare time he was roped into going to church by Cas to hear his daughter sing. It was beautiful, so she should have been allowed to sing in a stupid high school choir. If God didn't strike the girl down for singing in his house, then singing show tunes in a dusty auditorium should not have been a problem. They all knew the old choir director had a problem with not only Claire's outspoken attitude, her (innovative) suggestions, but with her whole family in general.

Dean didn't exactly know the history as to why she had a problem with Cas' family but it didn't matter, no child should be held responsible for their elder's actions no matter how heinous. "What's the song going to be this time? Does she know?" Dean passed his (very special) Doctor Who mug to the other man while taking a sip of his own.

Castiel wrapped his long fingered hands around the mug and breathed in the scent of the rich roast, "I don't. From what Lucifer said, he needed to hear her range before they decided on a specific song. He didn't want her to choose something more ambitious than her range will go, and not something too safe that would not showcase her talent."

"Sounds like he knows what he's doing."

Castiel leveled a look at Dean, "He used to be the choir director at the high school where he lived in Delaware, and used to run the glee club. From what I hear, they won every year he was there."

"Damn."

Castiel nodded, "Yeah I'm proud of him. He's come a long way, I'm glad he's home." Dean really didn't want to pry, because Castiel rarely talked so openly about his older brother. Hell, Sam knew more about the man than Dean did, and that was because Gabriel told some- rather unbelieveable- stories. There was no amount of glue that could adhere a mahongeny desk to the ceiling. At least not in Dean's experience. He smiled at Castiel over the rim of his mug, "Sounds like you missed him."

"Yes," Castiel confirmed, "he raised us when our father left. He went into home schooling so that there was always someone home when we got out of school, helped us with our homework, and took night classes at the college. He even took time off from his band-"

"Wait hold the phone-"

"I'm not holding a phone-"

Dean laughed, and set his mug beside him on the counter to fold his arms across his chest, "No- he was in a band?"

Casitel's eyes narrowed, "Yes?"

Dean rolled in hand in the air in a gesture of 'continue'.

The other man rolled his eyes and huffed, "Have you ever heard of the band called Perdition?"

Dean's eyes widened, "No way."

"Oh, well-"

"No, no, no," Dean assured, "I've heard of them. Oh my god, Sam is going to freak." He crowed, talking over Castiel's 'don't take the lord's name in vain Dean'. He slapped the counter and laughed, "When Sam was in his rebellious 'I'm going to blare loud music and stay up til ten on a school night' phase, that music was the only music I heard. For months. I had to get him one of those portable cd players cause I was hearing that shit in my sleep. Not that it was shit but.." He trailed off and nodded in a gesture of 'you get my meaning'.

"Yeah, they got pretty good after I graduated and they were able to record. Before our Aunt Amarra died, she helped them record an album, and after she left him all the equipment in her will. I think she felt guilty for not being around much, especially after our father disappeared. They weren't on the best of terms." Castiel stared into his mug, lost in memories for a few moments until he shook himself, "I didn't really expect to go down memory lane today."

Dean relaxed and gripped the counter behind him loosely, "So what did you expect today?"

Their eyes locked and Castiel murmured, "To be here with you."

"Yeah?"

"Mmmhmm," Castiel hummed. He set his mug down and took the two steps to slot their bodies together snugly. His right hand stroked up Dean's chest to settle over his rapid heartbeat and the left craded through Dean's short hair.Their eyes slipped shut as their lips brushed together, Dean let out a quiet moan as the shorter man rolled their hips together. The older man gripped the other's hips for a second before cupping the best- in Dean's opinion- ass in existence.

His head rocked back as Castiel started nipping and sucking lightly down his neck, "Fuck, Cas."

Castiel hummed and chuckled, "Mm, yes. 'Fuck Cas.'"

Dean growled and shuffled out of the kitchen, lips never leaving flesh, and blindly making their way through the house and only making it so far as the couch before tumbling together. They both laughed lightly when their noses collided but sobered quickly as Castiel straddled his hips and rocked their already hardened cocks together. Dean gripped the other man's touseled black hair, breathed harshly through his nose as he settled in for the ride. He really wasn't expecting much of anything today, so couch nookie was a definite plus. Right when they found the best rhythumn, getting super close to the best orgasm he's had in weeks, he heard a disgruntled cry in the other room. Everything stopped, Castiel paused and cocked his head to the side to listen. When the cry got louder and more angry by the second Dean groaned and bounced his head on the cushion underneath him in frustration, "It hasn't even been twenty minutes."

"Has she been like this all day?" Castiel stood up and straightened his clothes as Dean wobbled his way down the hall and to her room. All chance of anything interesting happening was dashed and wasn't it just Dean's luck?

"Yeah," Dean breathed as he approached Emma's crib. The baby's arms were flailing angrily, her little feet kicking in utter protest at her situation. He reached down and picked her up, "Hey, babygirl. Ssh, Daddy's here." He settled her into the crook of his arm as she quieted. Her little hand gripped his black shirt and blinked up at him with his eyes, looking just like a little Disney princess. Sam called it her Rapunzel face and Dean couldnt help but agree. He looked over and saw Castiel leaning up against the doorframe, a soft smile on his face. Dean sighed, "She's been like this all morning. Like I can't put her down for more than twenty minutes at a time before she starts wailing. Its like she gets scared being on her back."

"Well, you work a lot so maybe she just misses you." Castiel shrugged, "Be happy for that. The first year and a half after Claire was born I worked so much to keep us afloat that Amelia and her were really close. It wasn't pleasant, especially when I took over so that Amelia could sleep."

They walked out into the bright living room and Dean settled into the corner of the couch, Emma already blinking drowsily, "I have to work a lot." He started quietly, "I was struggling hardcore before Sam came back and since then it was okay but now-" He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Now Emma's here and I was totally unprepared. The water heater broke last month and we had to pool our money together to get a new one and fix all the damage that caused."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because," Dean looked over at Castiel who opted to sit right next to him rather than at the other corner of the couch. He appreciated the closeness, "You were dealing with your own stuff at the time and I didn't want to bitch about my shit."

Castiel brushed his fingers through Dean's hair, "I could've helped you. You know I would have."

"That's exactly the point though," Dean closed his eyes briefly in pleasure, "I knew you would have dropped everything to come and help me and I guess I-" "

Got scared?"

"Yeah."

Castiel nodded, and smiled softly, "You're not used to people helping you."

"I've had to get used to taking care of everything myself," Dean agreed, "It's hard to give over the reigns to someone else."

"Well maybe we can work on that."

Dean gazed down at Emma, who was fast asleep against his chest, her tiny lips open and a peaceful expression on her face. He sent a fervent prayer to whoever was listening that she remained as happy and peaceful as she could be, he couldn't bear it if he lost this. He looked back at Castiel, and exhaled softly, "I hope you're right."

* * *

 

After leaving the grocery store, Sam and Gabriel stopped at a Home Depot to pick up a few tables and...three spray bottles?

"I get the tables," Sam grunted as they loaded them into the back of Gabriel's vehicle, "but why spray bottles?"

Gabriel moved back and panted- even though he hardly provided any help- and surveyed the slightly unsafe condition of his back seats. They had to carefully Jenga everything to make sure nothing got squashed or shattered and he idly thought that he should have bought a bungee cord. Good thing he left the car seats at Lucifer's in case of an emergency, "The green one is for Lu's plants in the greenhouse, the blue is for this pretty epic bug spray he perfected, and the red is for his demon cat that doesn't really listen."

"Aww, cute."

"Not so much when you meet her," Gabe jumped to get the hatch down and frowned when Sam snorted and easily pulled it down to click shut, "She has literally no boundaries. He spoils the shit out of her and makes me sneeze. I think she knows it because when she's not riding Lu's shoulder she's all over me. The one time I stayed over- the first night he got here- she tried suffocating me. I almost died."

"Pretty sad that a little cat can bring you down." Sam joked as they buckled themselves in.

"What can I say," Gabriel said as he shoved his key into the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot, "Pussy loves me."

"Ugh, I walked right into that one."

"You did and its adorable."

It took them forty-five minutes to get to Lucifer's house, deep in the woods. Sam whistled when the SUV pulled up in front of a large, beautiful ranch-style house. It was dark brown wood, with little hanging red flower baskets over the over-hanging porch. The stone foot path had large pots of flowers ready to be planted, and a bench with muddy boots sat beside the door. For a guy named after the devil, his house looked oddly comforting.

They pulled up in front of a white garage door, and Gabriel clicked a button on the little remote on his visor, "His house is ginormous and has a pretty awesome backyard. There's even a lake."

"How did he even find this place? We didn't even know this house existed when we were looking."

Gabriel shrugged, "Don't really know. He bought it with Sarah..."

"I take it Sarah is his wife?"

"Was." Gabriel muttered and killed the engine, and let out a breath.

"Sorry," Sam murmured, "I didn't mean-"

"Nah, Sammy. Its okay, really." Gabriel shifted in his seat to level a look at the younger man, "I'm going to tell you something that you need to keep under your hat, and not let on that you know, cause its pretty important."

Sam unbuckled his seat belt and shifted to face Gabriel, "You can trust me. I won't say anything."

Gabriel grinned, "I know, kiddo. I just needed to illustrate just how much I need you to not let on." Gabriel looked through the windshield and pushed a hand through his hair before gripping the wheel, "This was supposed to be like a vacation home really. Lucifer always wanted to move back home after Jack was born-"

"Jack?"

"His kid," Gabriel barked, "Don't interrupt or I won't be able to finish." He darted a look at Sam and he mimed zipping his lip, "Thank you. Sarah wasn't really willing to move across country and leave her family, pretty much uprooting their lives but Lucifer was missing out on a lot. All he wanted to do was come back and have our kids grow up together like we did. He was struggling with work, bickering with Sarah, and Jack was having a hard time overall but despite all of that they were happy. Until the home invasion."

Sam paled, he really hope Gabriel wasn't going to say what he thought he was going to say. Gabriel scrubbed his face roughly and continued, "He lost them both. Was pretty fucked up afterwards and spent some time...away. After, when he was released-" he glanced back at Sam, "-he was kind of like the old Lucifer. Tired mostly, yeah, but on a lot of medication to help him function. He's...healed somewhat, and decided that it would be best to sell the house where everything went down and start over here with family. I mean, its only been two weeks since he's been home but he seems a lot more chilled out. Its nice."

Jesus.

Sam looked out the windshield and blinked, he really wasn't expecting that deluge of family history when he woke up that morning and felt just a tad uncomfortable knowing so much about Gabriel's older brother when the other man knew probably next to nothing about him. To go through all of that and still be alive? He couldn't imagine how strong the older man must be. "So why did you tell me all of this?"

Gabriel closed his eyes for a moment and rested against the headrest, then finally he opened his eyes and angled his head at the younger man, "Because you're my best friend and he's my older brother. And I can't-" He paused when his voice cracked, "I can't just **know** all of this and not let it out. I almost **lost** him."

"Hey," Sam soothed lowly, and rested a hand on the other's shoulder, "Its okay. I understand. You've let me unload lots of times, thank you for reciprocating. You're not alone."

Gabriel sat there for a few moments to gather himself together and it was silent in the SUV save their breathing. Outside the vehicle however, was another story. Sam could hear loud music and raised voices thumping through the walls of the garage. What was that song-

"Is that Taylor Swift?"

Gabriel smiled, "Ah, Claire's here!"

They exited the vehicle and proceeded to unload everything into the large chest freezer, the fridge and set the tables stacked on their sides against the wall. The song changed by the time they were done to another bouncy pop song, the music only got the tiniest bit louder as the two men walked through the garage into the main part of the house. Sam glanced at Gabriel as he recognized Carly Rae Jepsen, mouthing 'wtf' at the shorter man. The shorter man threw his head back and laughed silently- or not so silently cause the music was pretty loud. But not loud enough to cover the singing coming from the kitchen. Gabriel waved the taller man over to the dining room that faced the kitchen, pulled up a chair nearest to the archway to straddle it and held his face in his hands to watch, his back shaking with suppressed laughter. Sam just leaned against the archway beside him and folded his arms across his chest, marveling at the sight before him.

The kitchen was a veritable disaster of flour, cupcake wrappers, and batter. Raphael was dancing in the middle of the kitchen, providing absolutely no help, holding a whisk that was almost licked all the way clean. Chocolate cake batter was smeared across all over his face and Cookie Monster t shirt, the kid was doing a great impression of a raver completely lit and just lost in his own awesomeness. Uriel was calmly scooping chocolate batter and putting it into the tins on the counter, his little face so serious on his task. There was only the tiniest stripe down his cheek, the rest over his hands and forearms as he wielded the ladle as carefully as possible.

Claire was bouncing around with a taller man, occasionally bumping hips as she jauntily dried a dish. Their voices rang out in near perfect harmony to the music, " _Your stare was holdin', ripped jeans, skin was showing. Hot night wind was blowing-_ "

" _Where you think you're going, baby?_ " The blonde tossed his head back, using the brush like a microphone, handling it like a pro.

Oh.

Sam's brows climbed up to his hairline. Well, this was a surprise. It wasn't everyday an attractive man just let loose and belted out pop songs without feeling self-conscious. Or maybe it was just because he was so used to Dean's unstellar garbles that to hear someone who was actually good was nicer than he expected.

" _Hey I just met you, and this is crazy_ ," Claire spun and started putting away the dried dishes into the cupboard in front of her.

" _But here's my number_ ," Who he assumed was Lucifer shook his broad shoulders, and popped a slim hip while setting sudsy dishes into the other sink to rinse, " _So call me maybe._ "

The music washed over Sam and he couldn't help bobbing his head a little in enjoyment as he watched the two perform for them unknowingly. He didn't usually listen to this kind of stuff, was actually pretty used to the classic rock and oldies that Dean preferred. Sam usually listened to grunge, alternative rock, or what Dean called 'emo music'- whatever that meant.

It was nice to see Claire so happy and bubbly, Sam couldn't remember the last time he saw her actually enjoy being around other people. Granted, her mother was a pretty stifling conservative woman who passed her ideas on how a young lady ought to act that to be how she was right now would have sent the woman into a judgmental tirade. Sam really didn't like Amelia.

Of course it could have been because when she met Sam she fit him into this little box marked 'Damaged: keep away' and refused to let Claire around him. When Dean and Castiel got involved after their marriage ended, she went on a rather very homophobic rant that made him want to lay his fist into the drywall. He didn't, but only just. How Castiel could stand being around someone so judgmental was beyond his comprehension.

" _Before you came into my life I missed you so bad_ ," They sang together, their blue eyes sparkling with mischief. If Sam didn't know any better he could have sworn he was watching a father-daughter act, " _And you should know that, so call me maybe_!" He barely realized the song was ended until he heard Gabriel loudly slow clap.

Claire jumped and blushed beet red when she realized they had and audience and the blonde just turned around and-

Oh my god.

Dude was hot as fuck. Dirty blonde hair was sticking up all over the place, the best bed head he'd ever seen. Light blue eyes, almost gray seemed to pierce through his soul. He looked a little tired, but that was understandable given the early hour he had to get up. Nicely shaped lips revealed a perfect set of bright white teeth as he grinned shark-like at Gabriel. He wore a bright red t shirt emblazoned with '"That's what"-she said' on the front in white, and ripped up blue jeans hanging lowly off his hips. No socks, or shoes.

Sam never thought were cute until today.

"Daddy!" The spell was broken as the twins screeched in happiness, both barreling almost through Sam to get to the shorter man in the chair. Gabriel laughed and grabbed them both in each arm, carrying them like footballs back into the kitchen.

"Would you just **look** at this awful mess!" Gabriel exclaimed lightly, "What did Uncle Lu do? Unleash you guys on the place? Is that...chocolate on the ceiling?"

"Probably," The blonde shrugged mildly, "They wanted to see if they could make cupcake batter in the blender instead of the mixer and who was I to say no? Raph pressed the button before I could put the lid on all the way and well-" He gestured to the ceiling, the cupboard behind him, his hair.

"Duude," Gabriel laughed, "You are **wrapped**."

Sam felt a tugging at his shirt and looked down to see Uriel's big brown eyes staring up at him soulfully. "Hey there buddy," Sam smiled as the boy held his arms up. He reached down and picked him up, feeling his little legs hitch onto his side.

"Hi." Uriel wrapped his arms around his neck and buried his face into his chest. He patted the little boy on the back and looked up to see Lucifer smiling softly at them.

Sam colored and walked further into the kitchen, "Hey I'm Sam." He offered his hand to the tall blonde with a smile.

The blonde blinked up at him, probably not used to be shorter than anyone and took his hand firmly, "Hello Sam. I'm Lucifer. Sorry about my brother, he's rude as hell."

"Hey!" Gabriel protested, "I'll have you know that I'm a perfect angel. You're the devil."

Lucifer rolled his eyes and snorted delicately, "Oh hur hur. How original." He realized he was still holding Sam's hand and let go, coughing lightly into his fist to cover his embarrassment. Sam thought he had nice hands, they were long-fingered like Castiel's but calloused as if he did a lot of hands-on work. He could have spent the next few hours just examining them but then again, that was a very weird thought to have and he should probably back up now.

"So since you're here and all, Gabe, I'm gonna-" Lucifer jabbed a thumb at the sliding glass door.

Gabriel waved him off, "Go ahead. I'll start cleaning this place up a bit for you."

Lucifer nodded, "The next batch has five more minutes. I figured cupcakes would be better than a big cake, I really don't want a repeat of last time."

"Last time?" Sam questioned.

"Uncle Gabe thought it wold be really funny if he smashed dad's cake into Uncle Lu's face," Claire supplied and giggling at the memory.

"While I was carrying it out."

"Oh come on," Gabe scoffed, "That was **funny**!"

"Um no," Lucifer shook his head, "I was sneezing chocolate icing all damn night. I was finding dried chocolate everywhere the next day."

"I hear chocolate's god for the skin," Sam supplied, _if I get to lick it off of you_.

Whoa, down boy.

Lucifer whirled on him, Sam almost going cross eyed at the finger in his face, "Oh don't you start. You may be new here but I got my eye on you." The blonde winked and trotted out of the kitchen to the porch outside, plopping into a chair and lighting up a cigarette. He tipped his head back to rest on the back of the seat to and blew out the bluish smoke in a steady stream.

 _Please look all you want_ , Sam coughed. His inner Dean could shut the hell up anytime now. He glanced over at Gabe to see the other man staring at him. 'What?' he mouthed at him. Gabriel smirk and darted a look outside, then back at him, bouncing his eyebrows suggestively. Sam rolled his eyes and flipped the short man off with the arm not full of child. Gabriel snorted and helped Raph off the bar stool to save the cupcake batter from certain doom. Uriel snuffled in his shirt, laying his head on his shoulder fast asleep. He motioned to the boy's father that he was going to lay the little guy down in the other room and Gabriel nodded. He suspected the other one wasn't going to take a nap any time soon what with all the batter he just consumed.

Sam padded into the almost bare living room, noticing the lack of anything decorative on the walls, the bare mantelpiece. The only things in the room was a green couch with a thick plaid blanket strewn haphazardly across it, two end tables on each side of the large piece of furniture, a coffee table and a flat screen television propped on top of a nice wooden entertainment center. He tucked Uriel into the large couch as best he could and went to join everyone in the kitchen. Gabriel was wrangling Raphael into a semblance of submission, Claire opted to finish the rest of the dishes, so Sam grabbed a rag and proceeded to wipe down the counters.

In the time it took for Lucifer to finish his cigarette, the kitchen was almost clean. Lucifer stepped inside to see Gabriel rocking a drowsy Raphael who was stubbornly fighting his nap tooth and nail. He walked behind Claire and gave her a peck on the top of her hair in thanks and stopped near Sam. His brow furrowed and he stated quietly, "You don't need to do that."

Sam shrugged and continued scrubbing a spot of semi-dried batter, "I don't like sitting on my ass doing nothing when something needs to be done. Gabriel has his hands full and you had the kids all day and doing all this prep for the party. Least I could do."

"Well," Lucifer started lamely, scratching the back of his head, "I appreciate it. They're awesome kids but what a handful."

 _I'll give you a handful_ , Sam groaned, stop it brain. He looked over to see Lucifer cock his head to the side, so that's where Castiel got it from, "You okay, Sam?"

Sam blinked, "Uh yeah." He hoped his smile didn't look as manic as it felt, "Just hot I guess." He barked out a laugh when he heard a dirty chuckle from behind him, "I-I mean it was hot outside and uh-"

"Well you're wearing flannel and its the end of July," Lucifer stated mildly, "I can see where you would be...hot."

Sam could have sworn he heard Gabriel mutter 'I can't believe I'm fucking hearing this' and Claire answer back with 'Are we invisible right now?'. Sam leaned against the counter and ran a hand through his hair, probably as red as a tomato and nervously laughed, "Yeah, probably wasn't the best fashion choice."

"Oh I don't know," Lucifer said as he crossed an arm over his chest, his other hand's finger tapping idly at his bottom lip, "If it's one of those comfort things, I totally get it. Plus it outlines your frame and that could be intimidating to people trying to fuck with you. But you seem like a nice guy so," Lucifer's grinned as he flicked a hand out, "What do I know?"

And that's when Sam saw it. A ragged scar from the bottom of his palm stretching at least three inches down his forearm. His gaze darted back up to see the other man's eyes practically glittering with--something. The younger man cleared his throat with a click and suddenly the weirdly intense look on Lucifer's face melted into the perfectly friendly expression he wore mere moments ago. "I made far too much food. Would you like to stay for dinner, Sam?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, comments and concrit feeds mah beast. Mrow.


	4. Just A Comet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner, drugs, and dad jokes. Hey, its family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title comes from the tv show Steven Universe, "Just A Comet". Feel free to listen to it, I love it. (Obligatory disclaimer: Do not own, if owned- much peen. Don't sue.)

Castiel carded his fingers through Dean's hair rhythmically, the other man had drifted off into a doze after they got Emma fed and calmed. He had been burning at both ends for so long that Castiel was starting to fear for his health. It wasn't the first time he had run himself into the ground, when he brought Sam home Dean didn't sleep for days for fear his younger brother would harm himself or disappear again. It took Castiel staying with the two brothers for a week for Dean to get the rest and care he needed in order to take care of his brother. Now that Dean had a daughter that they didn't know about until six weeks ago, he feared the same thing was going to happen.

Not that he didn't want to stay with Dean. He wanted that very much.

Castiel sighed, then held his breath as the slight movement of his chest cause the other man to stir slightly. He hushed the slumbering man quietly, smiling softly as Dean turned in his embrace and buried his face in Castiel's chest.

Everything seemed so complicated. Castiel wished he was on better terms with Amelia, because then maybe she wouldn't make it so difficult for him to be around Dean. Not that the things she said made him uncomfortable to be around the taller man, it was the idle threats of taking their daughter away that made him hesitate every time. He knew if Claire was to ever slip and mention anything about seeing Dean- or Heaven forbid, **Sam** \- she would put a kibosh on his visitation. So since he had to carefully word every single thing in front of his ex wife, he had to make sure Claire did the same, and he hated having his teenage daughter lie for him. It wasn't right and it put quite a strain on their relationship.

He truly missed Claire. He missed their previous easy relationship, the game nights, laughing at whatever animated movie she picked out, watching her sing at church. He never suspected Amelia to be so vindictive as to get him kicked out of their church. He truly missed it and couldn't understand how he could be destined for Hell because of his choice in life partner. God had made humans in his own image- at least that's what they taught- so how could God judge him unworthy for choosing to find happiness with another man?

If the argument was that sex should be saved for procreation, he already had Claire as his progeny. He knew God could not be so stodgy like that because he made dolphins, and they had sex for pleasure, and not all the time with the opposite sex. God had made sex pleasurable, and not always in order to reproduce. Going on that same thread- God made the prostate. So. If anyone was going to Hell-

He stopped that blasphemous train of thought right there. His eyes nervously darted out the window to see the clear blue sky devoid of any thunderclouds. He took that as more of a warning than anything and decided to focus his attention on the television screen before him. His eyes narrowed, what manner of creation was a minion? They were yellow and obessed about bananas but looked like Twinkies. Did they have brains? And how did they procreate?

The vibration of his phone pulled his attention away from the disturbing child's movie and he grabbed it in relief. `-so Dean needs to come to the house for a family dinner. Tonight.`

Lucifer. Castiel frowned, `-...say what now?` His older brother couldn't be seriously wanting to meet Dean. He wasn't quite so keen on the man after what he heard of the circumstances revolving around his divorce and flat out refused to talk about it to Castiel for a good long while. It was odd that he was being so amenable about him now.

`Lucifer: you heard me dickbag. I want to meet your boyfriend. Since he's going to be family.`

Castiel glared at his phone. How dare Lucifer make assumptions about his life like that? His lips thinned and he fired off what he thought as a warning message back, `-You don't know me. You don't know my life.`

`Lucifer: well he better make an honest woman out of you or I will cut off his face, fry it, and then eat it right in front of you.`

He snorted, realizing it was just his older brother telling him he was okay with how things were going and wanted to clear the uncomfortable air. It was nice to have his protective older brother back, he really missed him. Opting for humor he replied back with `-at your advanced age, fried foods wouldn't be healthy for you.`

`Lucifer: is that an actual joke Cassandra?`

Dean groaned and lifted his head, "How long was I out? Is Emma okay?"

Castiel layed his phone down beside him and brushed his fingers down the side of his lover's face, "You were asleep for three hours and Emma is just fine. She's asleep in her crib after I changed and fed her."

Dean sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, "You should have woke me up, you didn't have to do all that."

"I wanted to," Castiel murmured, "And we are working on you 'giving up the reigns' a little remember?"

Dean sighed, his head dropping between his shoulder's, his upper body being held up by his elbows on his knees, "I know." He said quietly and straightened, "Its just a little hard to do is all."

Castiel sat back and scanned his eyes over the man in front of him. He wasn't sure if Dean was really up to doing anything but it wouldn't hurt to ask. Dean blinked at him slowly, "Cas? Is there something on my face, why are you staring?"

"We were invited to dinner and I wasn't sure how to ask if you were up for that or not."

Dean's brow furrowed, "Invited where?"

"Lucifer's. His suggestion."

"I don't know man," Dean's eyes darting back to his daughter's partially shut door, "I mean I got Emma." Clearly nervous at bringing his daughter around strangers. He wanted to assure Dean that Lucifer would never harm the baby girl, wouldn't dream of it in fact, but he wasn't sure how to start that conversation and to be respectful of his brother at the same time.

"I would understand if you said no," Castiel assured, "but in defense of my brother he would like to meet you. I'm assuming that Sam is already there since he has been helping Gabriel all day with something. I know that you are tired, and so i doubt you will make anything for yourself for dinner. I would also like to spend some time with you." He could see Dean weighing the options in his mind, "I miss you."

Fearing he was cornering the other man into something he really didn't want to do, Castiel held his breath as Dean stared seriously at him. His fears were dashed as the other man shot him a brilliant smile, "You really don't play fair, you know that, right? So, what's for dinner?"

"I didn't ask. I think I should have."

* * *

 

Lucifer's kitchen was pretty impressive, Sam couldn't deny that. The man had a double oven set into the wall, a large refridgerator/freezer combo big enough to fit a body slightly taller and much wider than himself if the shelving was removed- why Sam's mind went there he had no clue- and so much storage space that he knew if Dean saw this kitchen he'd be itching to cook.

The blonde seemed to be in his element. It was clear he spent a lot of time in this room, that his whole family did. Sam didn't understand it much, how everyone usually migrated from all corners of the house just to hang out in the kitchen but to be able to sit back and watch the sweet domesticity he had to admit he was kind of jealous.

The twins, fresh from their naps chased each other- and Lucifer's cat Meg- around the kitchen. Lucifer- without looking up from his task of carefully icing the cupcakes- swatted Claire's hand gently from dipping into the chocolate: 'That is entirely unsanitary, how dare you', 'you have some on your lip'. Gabriel sat at the table across from him, halfheartedly trying to get his kids in order, 'you guys seriously stop trying to ride the cat'. The sunset was gorgeous outside, a beautiful watercolor of reds, oranges, and yellows. The fireflies danced outside in the grass and the boys were eagerly waiting to catch some in the mason jars their uncle unearthed from a box under the sink. The large patio outside was already illuminated in a soft glow with strings of small industrial bulbs.

Gabriel plied him with beer after beer, and after the third one he was pleasantly buzzed enough to shed his plaid and laid it across his chair, not really caring if anyone saw his scars. Claire knew some of the story, Gabriel knew far more, and Lucifer either already knew through his brother or was too polite to comment. Sam felt oddly safe here, and he wasn't going to over think anything because he was having a helluva good time.

Which is naturally the best time for Dean and Cas to show up and disrupt it. He could hear the rumble of the Impala pulling up outside and inwardly groan. It wasn't that he didn't like his brother, or Castiel, it was just that Dean had a certain charismatic personality that tended to overshadow Sam's groundwork in any situation. Sam would be talking to someone- a girl perhaps- and they would be laughing and having a great time, she'd think he was charming and easy to talk to. Then Dean would show up: all bad boy in leather jacket and cigarette smoke, calling him Sammy and naturally flirting with the other person with his arm slung over Sam's shoulders like the biggest protective cock-block known to man, making Sam feel small and invisible.

It sucked.

It didn't matter that Gabriel was his best friend, and that Claire was Castiel's daughter, **they** already knew Sam. It was just that now that Dean and him were on the same playing field- so to speak- he was childishly afraid that Lucifer would like Dean more. Think he was cooler, more attractive, funnier. It shouldn't matter at all, he was here to hang out with Gabriel and get to know his family more, hoping to repair any weirdness that was between him and the shorter man if there was any

He was such a girl.

He sighed when he heard the door open and Cas questioning where everyone was. Claire called out to him to direct them where to go and within a few moments the couple found themselves in the kitchen. Castiel walked up to Claire and gave her a short peck on the cheek while Dean hung back in the archway behind Sam, holding a slightly fussing Emma nervously.

Gabriel looked up from carefully making a toothpick tower and smiled, "Princess!" and his eyes darted to Emma, "And you brought the baby!"

Dean rolled his eyes, "Shut up."

Sam twisted around and smiled brightly at the slowly blinking infant, "Hey there, Emma." All she responded with was a sneeze, but he wasn't expecting much. Sam turned back around in the chair to see Lucifer leaning against the counter looking at Dean and Emma with an unidentifiable look on his face.

And there we go. Dean barely said a thing and now Sam could tell something shifted in Lucifer, but he couldn't pinpoint it at the moment. To say he was disappointed was an understatement.

"Dean, this is my older brother Lucifer," Castiel introduced, standing next to Claire close to the sliding glass door. "Lucifer, this is Dean."

Lucifer grinned and stepped forward, holding out his hand which Dean silently took, "And this must be Emma." He looked at her and smiled softly, Emma stared back at him, her eyes wide and her small lips pursed. He waved a finger at her in 'hello' and grinned at Dean, "She's beautiful."

Dean smiled for the first time entering the house relaxing, "Thanks, man. She's been a trip."

"Well it wasn't as if you had any time to get used to her." He made a face and the baby squawked, "She's almost three months right?"

"Yeah," Dean agreed, "I've only had her for six weeks though."

"That's not much time really, especially when you didn't know she was even here." Which confirmed that either Lucifer was an incredible guesser, or there really wasn't any secrets in this family. Still, Dean shot an accusing glare over his shoulder at Sam, as if he were the tattle tale. Sam just stared back helplessly and shook his head. Dean just rolled his eyes and lightly bounced Emma when she started making snuffling sounds.

"Well dinner's almost ready if everyone wants to go outside. The table out there's bigger." Lucifer saved everyone from awkward conversation by directing them outside to get settled. Gabriel lightly punched Sam's bicep and cocked a question eyebrow. Sam just shoot his head wearily and Gabriel nodded, they'd talk about it later.

Once the food was set out and Lucifer sat down everyone quieted at the completely serious look he directed at them, "Before we eat we should say Grace." Gabriel nodded, Castiel and Claire closed their eyes and the brother's shared a look before Lucifer's face twitched and he guffawed, "Oh I'm just fucking with you. You should **see** your faces!!"

After that dinner passed by enjoyably, Claire took the twins into the house to clean up and put a movie on which left the adults and baby outside to enjoy the weather. So naturally, after being fed and fussed over, Emma decided that that was the time to turn from a pleasant angel to total banshee. Nothing Dean did would soothe her, none of the little things he figured out that calmed her down would. Gabe and Sam tried suggesting things to help and Lucifer just studied Dean struggling with the baby silently. Castiel went inside to get her a pacifier.

The tall blonde decided enough was enough after a few more moments and rounded the table to sit by Dean, "You mind?" He held out his arms in question.

Dean looked over at the other man, searching his face to see if he was truly someone to trust and eventually decided it couldn't hurt to let someone else try to help, "Okay."

He gently extracted the wiggling infant from her agitated father's arms and once he settled her against his chest, in the crook of his arm she started quieting. He took her waving hand and and tucked her arm close to her body, crooning at her, "See, you're okay now, baby." They watched each other for a few minutes, Emma blinking up at him in slight suspicion and Lucifer watching her peacefully. He rocked her in his seat from side to side and eventually she rubbed her nose against his shirt and relaxed in defeat, her eyes slipping shut.

Gabriel smirked at an incredulous Dean, and shrugged, "He's like the baby whisperer." Dean gusted out a breath and took a fortifying drink of his water, his hands shaking.

Sam leaned back in his seat and watched the blond cuddling his niece as if he could stay like that all night if he had to. With what Gabriel told him earlier that day, he wouldn't be surprised at all. The scene before him tugged at his heartstrings in a million ways, and he wished that time would just stop for a few minutes.

* * *

 

"You said that you didn't really have much time to prepare am I right?" Lucifer asked Dean quietly.

Dean nodded, "Yeah. The hospital just called me at work one day and I thought Sam-" he darted a look at his younger brother then looked back, "-might have injured himself at work or something. But instead, they were telling me I had to get there pronto and pick up my daughter. I was like, 'but I don't have a kid', thinking they got me and another Dean mixed up. But no dice, my name is on the birth certificate."

"Did you ever do a DNA test?"

"I didn't bother," Dean shook his head. "Clearly the mom didn't want her, and I couldn't just leave her there. As soon as I saw her I knew she was mine."

Lucifer hummed, "Yeah i think I would have done the same thing. Did you ever get into contact with the mother?"

Dean shrugged, "All I got is a name. That's where I'm going to leave it. If she wants to get into contact with me, that's fine cause Emma deserves to meet her mom and know her. If she does want to see her, she'll have a lot to prove. You don't abandon family."

Lucifer slowly stood from his chair and brought the baby over to Sam who took her readily and motioned for Dean to follow him. Dean shot a questioning look over to Sam but followed the taller blond. They went through the kitchen and dining room, past the living room where Trolls was playing on the screen, then down the hallway to a closed door on the left. Lucifer stopped, took a breath then opened the door to a darkened room. Inside were boxes of various sizes, a well-made dark wood rocking chair with a matching crib and a swing.

"So Gabe mentioned to me a while back, round the time you got Emma that you guys had absolutely nothing for her." Lucifer said quietly, "Its not much: just some furniture, some clothes- all boy stuff but gender specific doesn't really mean shit for babies- and bottles. Sam said she was fussing on that Gentle stuff and that Alimentum formula is expensive as a motherfucker. There are these Vent Aire bottles in one of these boxes, which are a helluva ton better than those shitty Dr. Brown's bottles, and much easier to clean too. I also recommend since she doesn't seem satisfied after her bottle and is spitting up to put a little rice cereal in her bottles. Should do the trick."

Dean blinked in surprise at the almost verbal diarrhea, "Dude. Are you serious?"

"Well, yeah. The rice-"

"No," Dean started, "I mean what do you mean by-"

"Its your's."

"What?"

Lucifer gestured at the boxes and furniture, "All of it. Its your's. I'll have Gabe bring it when he drops Sam off, so you don't have to deal with juggling Emma and boxes. I'm sure Castiel remembers how to put the crib together, otherwise I can swing by tomorrow and hook it up."

"But, why-"

"Dean," Lucifer chuckled lowly, "Believe me when I tell you that you are doing me a favor by taking it. Really, it frees up a room that maybe I can turn into a playroom the twins can destroy or something for Claire to escape to. So," He rubbed his hands together, "think you can use any of it?"

"You're kind of like my fairy godfather right now."

"I take that as a 'yes'. Bibbity bobbity boo."

Dean laughed, and rubbed the back of his head, "Thanks man. I mean, this is-"

"Don't mention it, happy to help." Lucifer's icy stare scanned the room before he hummed, "I need a cigarette."

"I hear ya."

"I didn't know you smoked," Lucifer said as they made their way back outside, but took a bee line to the garage and since they were still talking, Dean followed.

"I do-er, well I used to. I stopped when we brought Emma home, but I'm telling you my nerves have been completely shot." He leaned against the worktable by the door while Lucifer just hopped up, dangling his legs off and lighting up two cigarettes in his mouth before offering one to Dean.

Dean took it and nodded his thanks before taking a drag, "Oh sweet mercy I've missed that." He scrubbed his face wearily, "I never thought a creature that tiny would take it out of me like that."

Lucifer shrugged, "I get it. Its hard being a first time dad. I've seen it with Gabe, and Cas. I don't really talk much with Michael but I'm sure it was the same. You get used to having spit up on your shirt-"

"-down your back-"

"-absolutely no sleep. Or sex for that matter."

"I hear ya."

"You pretty much get used to the perpetual dark circles and the fact that you don't stand still anymore, you do this weird rocking thing like you're still holding them. I think that's called muscle memory. You end up surviving on coffee, and whatever cold food you managed to cobble together in the rare minutes you have to actually eat." Dean nodded continuously, yes to all the things. Lucifer took another drag and continued, flicking his ash on the floor, "Any free time is either 'do I shower or sleep' and that answer usually requires the sniff test. If you can live with smelling like however then you choose sleep."

"Yeah I mean, if Sam wasn't there then I-" He sniffed delicately, what was that smell? He darted his eyes around and stopped at the tiny white column held between Lucifer's fingers. _That's a fucking joint_. "-would probably be crazy. Er. Crazier."

Pretty ballsy to just light up a doobie right in front of your brother's boyfriend like it was NBD. On the other hand, it was his house and all, he could do whatever the hell he wanted. It still didn't make Dean feel better, he didn't want that shit around Sam- he was doing so better since Ruby that to get involved with people who did drugs so casually fired off so many warning bells in Dean's mind.

Lucifer shrugged, clearly not registering Dean staring at him, "Crazy is a relative term. Know what I find fucking weird? Normal people. Those people that can just get out of bed everyday all chipper and shit. Go about their business, as if nothing is wrong. Probably to them everything's hunky fucking dory to begin with." His blue eyes flicked over at Dean, "Yes its a joint. I didn't offer cause you have Emma and you don't seem the type that would smoke reefer. Drinking reacts badly with my medication- makes me mean- and I really didn't want to be a dick today."

Dean nodded, "I get it. I mean, I used to in high school occasionally but i don't anymore. Drugs and my family? 's not a can I wanna open."

"To each their own." He took a long drag and let it out smoothly, "People that fuck over **my** family? Stoned or not, I'll make them wish they were never born."

_So this is his version of the shovel talk_ , Dean nodded, "I'll keep that in mind."

"You do that."

* * *

 

Just when Sam was going out of his mind at all the possible things Lucifer and Dean would be getting up to, the two men exited the garage through the side entrance and climbed the short stairs to the patio. Dean had a weirdly serious look on his face and Lucifer was smirking, smelling a little funny and eyes shining like-

_Dude's high as fuck._ Sam's eyes tracked the blonde man as he sidled around Gabriel, ruffing his hair lightly and snickering at the 'Hey dickbag, hands off'. He pretty much melted in his chair and turned to Gabriel, "So I learned today not to have the bathroom door open around the boys."

Gabriel nodded sagely, "Did they put the toilet paper in the in the toilet again?"

Lucifer's nose scrunched, and Sam did **not** think that was cute as hell. Did not. "No, because I'm a fucking adult that keeps it on the holder where it should be always. But who knew toilet water was awesome?"

"All over the place?"

"Kinda need a shopvac."

They laughed and traded horror stories about the twins before Gabriel froze, "You know I haven't seen them in a while." It was only eight thirty, they would still be awake for a bit yet. Which begged the question as to where they were.

"You know," Lucifer said mildly, "I tend to forget that when they're quiet is when you should worry."

Suddenly a very wet, angry cat jumped up on the table, stalking up to Lucifer and growling menacingly. His mouth turned down and his eyes widened, "Meg, why are you all wet?" Glaring at Gabriel's 'Ha! Wet pussy!' and growled, "Shut your mouth Gabe, that's not funny."

"It kind of is."

Lucifer stabbed a finger into the table top, "This is a **travesty**. I don't know if Meg will recover from this." The cat mewled plaintively and he reverted his attention back to her, cooing nonsense words at her to soothe her like he did with Emma.

_Sweet cheese and crackers_ , Sam couldn't roll his eyes harder, he shared a look with Gabriel and shook with laughter. Dean squinted at the bedraggled mess that was Lucifer's cat and asked, "Is that even a cat? It looks like Gollum."

Through the roaring laughter at the table, and the warning growls from Meg, Lucifer picked the cat up and faced her at his guests. In his best Gollum voice- which was creepy good in Sam's opinion- he intoned, "My precioussssssss!" Moving her paws in the air as he did so just set everyone off again and it was the complete last straw for the feline. She yowled and bucked out of her master's grasp and darted into the kitchen to hook her claws into Sam's overshirt and started to lick herself clean.

Sam frowned, "Aw no. Gross."

She looked at him and hissed, so Sam knew he wasn't going to get that back any time soon. It was starting to get cold too, dammit. He shivered and ignored Gabriels' 'aww, poor sammikins'.

Lucifer shook his head, "I wouldn't even attempt to get it back, but no worries, I'll lend you a hoodie of mine. I'll make sure to get your shirt laundered." Sam smiled at him in thanks and Lucifer disappeared into the house to fetch him warmer wear, halfheartedly chastising Meg for her rudeness and getting a serious swipe in response.

* * *

 

When Lucifer arrived back at the table, still pleasantly buzzed, they were discussing favorite tv shows. Castiel had an unhealthy obsession with Netflix but Lucifer couldn't really blame him-he was all for Netflix binging cause like Gabriel said he was very much a hermit. He was currently working his way through three series and was planning on getting seriously blasted later on to watch Deadpool.

It took minimal effort to enjoy that flick. Tall, built brunettes in tight gear? Sign him up.

And speaking of tall, built brunettes...Lucifer draped his favorite black hoodie over Sam's broad- gulp- shoulders. Sam flashed his pearly whites at him in thanks and it felt like a kick to his gut.

_If he smiles at me like that **one more time**..._ he would do nothing, because he was a dirty, old man. In all fairness, Sam was only a little younger than Castiel but that was enough to stop him from pursuing anything. Well, that and Luifer was a complete chickenshit when it came to chasing after anyone.

Guilt tasted so gross.

"They put another season of American Horror Story on Netflix," Castiel said with understated glee, "I can't wait to binge." Dean just shuddered beside him.

Lucifer took a healthy swig of his water, dry mouth was a bitch, "I could not get behind the circus freak season." Dean crowed a 'right?!', "It was too much like the Human Centipede for me. Did not want."

Sam's face crumpled into the cutest confused expression he'd ever seen, "What's that?"

Gabriel groaned, "Never again."

Dean agreed, "I really don't know how that movie got a sequel, let alone two." The older Winchester looked off into space, haunted for a moment and then shuddered again. Sam still looked adorably confused.

Lucifer shifted in his seat, stealing Gabriel's beer-so many weird tastes in his mouth like rotten ash-, "Watching that movie was like how I imagine gem rape!fusion would look like."

Gabriel frowned, making grabby hands for his beer back which he deflected easily, "The boys got you to watch Steven Universe with them?"

Lucifer scrunched his face in disgust, "Bitch I watch that on the regular." At the jeers and jibes all around the table he listed off his reasoning, "Its got good music, adorable characters, Greg Universe is my spirit animal, and it sends a positive LGBT+ message. I'm all in. Prove me wrong."

Gabriel nodded, "The only human centipede I can get down with is Flourite. Big ol'centipedal polamory gem fusion. I'm there."

The conversation progressed from there, ranging off of their favorite characters to Sam explaining the show to his brother, careful not to give away too much, maybe so that Dean didn't rip on him too harshly for liking a kid's show. All of a sudden the evening, really the whole day even, crashed down on him. His house was filled for the first time in so long with laughter, the scampering of little feet, little eyes and hands taking everything in. For the first time since she was ten, Claire breezed in as if she had done so forever, easy camaraderie sparking between them as if he never left home.

And Emma.

God that baby was gorgeous, and so very little. Being able to just look at her would have been enough to soothe that ache in his stomach that never left since his loss. Being able to hold her was a balm, and for once he soul was at peace. All it took was for a second, one tiny moment of inattention and suddenly the beast inside stirred and opened its gaping maw, spewing grief and black despair.

He stood suddenly, his chair clattering behind him in his haste to get **away**. He didn't hear the chorus of 'Dude, what the hell', 'Hey, you ok?', 'He just needs a minute, Sam', and 'I'll get the chair'.

The side door to the garage slammed behind him and he was plunged in darkness. His breath was harsh as he held onto the workbench with a white knuckled grip. The room spun all around him, and he thought he was going to be sick. His wrists ached, and hot tears welled up. He wasn't going to cry, wasn't going to fucking do it again.

It was enough that he had his family- he would make it be enough. He didn't know and actually feared what would happen when everyone left. He could just pretend for a while that everything was okay, and maybe get blackout drunk over the weekend. He could watch the old home movies that he still didn't have the courage to get rid of, could pour over all the photos still carefully packed away. He could drink as much liquor as he needed cause he was an adult dammit and this is how they coped. Sometimes. Okay not at all since it was incredibly unhealthy but he was so tired of the 'baby steps' and the counseling. The medication alone was fucking him up and didn't seem to be helping at all.

He got himself under control and leaned back against the the workbench, squeezing his gritty eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose. He didn't know how much time had passed, couldn't seem to bring himself to care much, and didn't notice as the door to the garage open. The bright conversation spiked and then muted again as the door carefully shut. Muted footsteps approached and Lucifer was still lost inside his mind, his ears ringing with a high-pitch whine that was starting to give him a fucking migraine.

Then a warm, broad hand settled on his shoulder and he didn't realize how cold he was until just then, "Hey, you alright?" Sam's soft question seemed to wrap around his very soul, quieting the rage beast and suddenly that whine was gone.

He peeked a glance through his hand to see that sweetly concerned face watching him, those perfect brows turned up and those liquidy hazel eyes boring into his with empathy, _Jesus he's the biggest puppy I've ever seen_.

He flashed the other man a grin, hoping it didn't look as fake as it felt, "Yeah, I'm good. I just thought..." He trailed off lamely, he was never a good liar. He hopped onto the workbench, felt Sam's hand trail down his arm from Lucifer's sudden movement and he mourned the loss of touch. It as a good thing he rolled a couple joints before Gabriel came over that morning cause there was no way in hell he'd be able to do it now with how much his hands were shaking.

"Fuck," he grumbled as the combination of lighter and fingers fumbled.

"Here, let me." Those hands again, took his lighter gently from his chilled grasped and lit the joint expertly. They eyed each other as Sam took a careful drag, and letting the smoke out after a moment before handing it back, "You know, its okay if you're not. You don't have to be."

"You're the first one to say that." He took a long drag, and did not admit how hot it was for Sam to just diffuse the situation like he did. They passed the joint back and forth, not saying anything but basking in the quiet. It was weirdly peaceful considering that he was having a Moment not five minutes previous.

"I have a joke for you," Lucifer started. Sam looked at him in question, his interest making the older man giddy, "and depending how you react to it will affect our future frendship."

Sam coughed, "Sounds like serious business."

Lucifer snickered and took drag when Sam passed it back, "That's not entirely what I'm going for here, but I'll take it." He said thickly, the burning smoke scorching his throat. He cocked an eye brow at Sam and tapped a finger at the corner of his mouth, "So a baby seal walks into a club..." _Wait for it.._

Sam snorted and cracked a smile, and they continued to smoke as if Lucifer never said anything. The older man was silently screaming with laughter, his eyes wide with the difficulty of keeping himself still and serious.

Sam's eyes flicked over at him and a grinned, "Sorry that was rude. Go ahead and continue the joke."

Lucifer coughed out the drag he took and laughed, "That's it. That's the joke."

Sam just looked at him for a moment completely blank and for a second Lucifer thought he fucked up. Then the joke seemed to click and Sam threw his head back and laughed uproariously.

_I wanna keep him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter is long, sorry for taking so long to post but my fingers wouldn't stop typing, and the boys just would not.shut.up. Comments and concrit feeds my beast. Make me howl bitches! *Hoooooowwwwlllll* also enjoy :)


	5. I Touch Myself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dreams. Naughty thoughts. Music.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for being away for so long, I hope that this chapter makes up for the long time without posting.  
> Chapter title "I Touch Myself" by Divinyls. (if you haven't listened to this gem, its glorious.) Second song mentioned, "Dirty Diana" by Shaman's Harvest. From here on out, in this universe, that is what Perdition sounds like.
> 
> I don't own Supernatural or its characters, for if I did there would be loads of peen and boy kissing. Don't sue please. Also, I'm using Shaman's Harvest as Perdition, I do not own the band, I love the band, please don't sue me.

_"So this is your life now? Think you can live forever with your head buried in the sand?"_

_**Jess.** _

_God how he missed her. She looked and felt so real. Her perfume clung to her small body and the bedclothes beneathe them. Her words were confusing but it felt like he knew what she meant._

_"I love you, Jess," He said roughly. He turned and sat up on the edge of the bed, looking around his....motel room? He sighed, "God knows how much I miss you, too. But you're wrong. People can change. There is reason for hope."_

_"No, Sam. There isn't."_

_Her small hand trailed from his shoulder into his hair, and he couldn't help but close his eyes and lean into that gentle touch. It'd been so long, so long since he was touched with the gentle affection that came so easily to Jess. "How can you be so sure?"_

_"Because you freed me."_

_He knew that voice. That melodic, calm and gentle voice. He jumped and turned in surprise to see the tall blonde from earlier that day. Something about him though made his body seize in dread and fear. He stood and backed away from his bed, the blonde watching every move with a calm expression._

_"That's right, you know who I am."_

_Instead of what he wanted to say, he heard himself bite out, "Lucifer."_

_The other man smiled gently, "You are a hard one to find, Sam. Harder than ost humans." What the hell? "I don't suppose you'd tell me where you are?"_

_"What do you want with me?" Sam asked fearfully, once again not in control of his body or what he wanted to say. He knew this was a dream- it had to be- but his dreams never felt so vivid or took this much control._

_"Thanks to you, I walk the Earth. I want to give you a gift. I want to give you everything." He looked up at Sam so earnestly, those icy blue eyes completely undoing a part of Sam and sending a bolt of want through his body._

_He opened his mouth and-_

He woke up to his alarm blaring right next to his ear. He groaned and shut off his alarm, hissing in discomfort and looked down his body. Seriously. Of course he was hard, it was nearly every morning when not-so-little-Sam decided to say 'hello' but just the thought of Lucifer on a bed, looking up at him so ardently offering him everything?

Damn.

Okay so he had it bad. Really bad. He was going to see the guy later on that day, those icy blue eyes boring into his fucking **soul** , that fucking voice doing things to his mind, and that **body** -

Sam took a fortifying breath. Down, Sammy. He scrubbed his face roughly with both hands and shifted, groaning again as the sheets drifted over his hard length. He had to do something about this and he flat out refused to take a cold shower. He'd had far too many of those over the last few weeks. 

He growled lowly and stretched, realizing that he never took Lucifer's hoodie off before he fell asleep. It was soft, laundered so many times it had that permanent scent of fabric softener and underneath that, an intoxicating aroma of his body wash, coffee, and beneath all of that was a scent that was all Lucifer's own. 

Oh what he wouldn't give for the other man to be here right now, in his bed and in his arms. He wasn't completely sure if the other man was a cuddler or not, but Sam sure was. He laid his arm over his eyes to block out the light shining in his room and shifted into a more comfortable position. Fuck it. The scent of the other man invaded his senses, the memory of Lucifer's face looking up at him made waves of lust roil through his body. He bit his lip and shuddered as his fingers brushed the damp tent in his jeans as he unbuttoned and unzipped to pull out his aching length.

If he didn't have to get back to the group last night, he could just imagine what he would have done. He would have pushed the other man against the workbench and licked the lingering smoke from the joint from his mouth. He would have sucked that skillful tongue and grabbed those slim hips. He was sure the other man would grab the back of his head, his ass and ground their hips together roughly.

Sam gasped as he skated the tips of his fingers down his already leaking cock, and arched his hips. It'd had been a long time since he fantasized this vividly. He spread the precome already gathered at the tip and moaned as he stroked, his hips bucking at the image in his head. He wanted so badly for his fantasy to be real, to be able to rut against the other man, hear the sounds he was sure he would elicit from those shapely lips. He wondered what the older man would do if he nipped his bottom lip, his neck, the juncture of his neck and shoulder. 

He rocked his hips up from the bed, using his free hand to run his nails down the sensitive flesh of his inner thigh. Lucifer's wheezy laugh and sparkling eyes dancing around his thoughts. He cupped and fondled his tight aching sac, his breath coming in tiny gasps as pleasure arched through his body. 

He was sure the other man would turn the tables on him, slam him against the table and take control. Sam shivered in the depths of his fantasy, throwing his head back as he imagined his hands were Lucifer's long fingered ones, stroking and fondling expertly. His breaths came out in pants, his hips snapping up into his fist, uncaring of any sounds he could be making. Everyone was still asleep, they had to be. 

At the thought of how Lucifer would look before him, on his knees and looking up at him with the same expression he had in his dream, promising to give Sam everything he came harder than he ever did when he took himself in hand. He lay there gasping, trying to get his breathing under control when he heard a chirp from his phone. He frowned and wiped his hand off with a shirt he left by his bed and picked up his phone.

`G-Man: Any chance you know how to wield yon axe or chainsaw?`

Sam snorted `-Dean and I help our uncle Bobby with his firewood all the time. Why?`

`G-Man: Because Luci is insistent on a bonfire and I can't convince him otherwise. I don't want to visit the hospital today.`

`-can he not handle an axe?`

`G-Man: Dude, I threw my back out last week by putting my socks on. He's older than me. Logic states that the oldest one is going to hurt himself. `

`-I think that counts as ageism.`

`G-Man: That's exactly what Lu said. Come onnnnnnnnn Saaaaaaaam. Please help? for me?`

Sam chuckled, he could just hear his friends' wheedling tone. Spending an afternoon with his best friend and the literal man of his dreams? Descision made. `-Of course you whiney bitch.`

`G-Man: Good cause Claire is on her way.`

Fuck.

It wasn't that he didn't like the seventeen year old, far from it. The girl was sassy and snarky, with a sweet side that was utterly endearing. She was a real sour patch kid. 

He just didn't know how she felt around him. Things were kind of weird after Dean and Cas hooked up after Cas' divorce. Amelia made it known she didn't want her impressionable daughter around the youngest Winchester. As if he would infect her or something and she'd become some soulless creature roaming the world to wreak havoc on unsuspecting churchgoers. 

Sam snorted, honestly the girl was halfway there already and he would totally pay to see that happen. He sighed and layed his phone down on his stomach as he looked up at his ceiling again. Really he could turn ceiling gazing into a sport if he wanted to, but then again he was really procrastinating and he was sure Claire would be there very soon. 

With another lazy sigh he heaved himself out of bed and changed quickly but still left Lucifer's hoodie on, since he was going to be chopping wood for most of the day he didn't see any sense in taking a shower just to get sweaty again. He was sure he'd have enough time to shower and change before Cas's party later that night. He was glad Ellen gave him the much needed time off, he'd been working so much overtime that all he had been doing was sleep wand work. 

He strolled out of his room and stopped short as he saw Dean at the sink calmly washing the bottles Lucifer gave him. His brother looked up and smiled brightly at Sam, and that should have been the first sign that something was amiss. Sam just looked askance at him and smiled politely. Dean bobbed his head and popped out an earbud, "Dude you should really listen to this song I just downloaded, its really good."

Sam shrugged and nodded, and Dean grinned almost manically and plugged his phone into a small speaker on the counter. He fiddled with the controls and then suddenly sound filtered out to the room, _"I don't want anybody else, when I think about you I touch myself-"_

"Oh my God." Sam colored and booked it out of the house to the sound of Dean's cackling. Sometimes he really hated his older brother. Luckily as he exited the house, Claire was just pulling up. He honestly never felt more relief at seeing the teenager pull up in her dad's car with the music blaring some song he'd never heard. 

She stopped short and the passenger side window drew down, "What's up, old man? Ready to get your chop-chop on?"

Sam hurried down the porch and into the car, "I'm so ready." Then he frowned, "Seriously, old man? Not cool."

Claire snorted, "Dude you're like, twice my age almost. I am well within rights to call you old."

Sam rolled his eyes, "I could say I'm wounded but that would mean that I let a little punk ass like you get to me."

"I can't believe you said 'ass' to me," She deadpanned as she pulled out into traffic, "My poor virgin ears can't compute."

"Your uncles are Gabe and Lucifer, I'm pretty sure you've heard worse."

Claire smirked, "I've actually heard worse from your brother to be honest. Uncle Gabe has the twins that he has to censor himself for, and Uncle Lu treats me like the fucking lady I am."

Sam cackled, "There are so many things wrong with what you just said." They drove for a bit, listening to the soft music Claire changed to, which was odd for her, "So. Ready for school to start?"

Claire sighed as they stopped at a red light, "Not really no."

Sam cocked an eyebrow and looked out the corner of his eye, "Wanna talk about it?"

Claire's face shuttered closed and she muttered, "There's absolutely nothing to be excited about."

"Why? What's going on?" Sam put his hand on her shoulder for comfort, "You know you can talk to me."

Claire's eyes watered and she suddenly pulled into a deserted parking lot. Throwing the car into park she gripped the steering wheel in both hands until her knuckles turned white,"I'm not excited about going back to school cause mom wants to move back to Indiana." She looked over at Sam and her eyes were red and glimmered with unshed tears. Her mouth wobbled, "She says its what's best for me, and I don't get a say in it, like she hasn't even told dad and I just can't-" She finally broke down and started sobbing.

Sam unbuckled his seatbelt and Claire's, then pulled her into his arms. Luckily Cas had the old bench style front seat like the Impala so he didn't hurt the small girl. He stroked her golden hair and leaned his cheek on the top of her head, "I know it sounds hopeless right now, and I'm so sorry you have to go through this, but you're not alone okay? Your dad loves you, and-"

"He's got another daughter, at least she won't be such a disappointment."

Sam pulled back, "What are you talking about?" After she didn't answer, Sam tilted her head up to face him, "Claire, what do you mean?"

She sniffled, "He spends so much time with Dean and Emma, its like he traded us for them. I'm not doing well in school, all I do is snap and-"

"Sweetheart, you're a teenager. Your dad knows that." He brushed some hair out of her face, and wiped away the tear tracks on her cheeks, "He loves you so much Claire. When you're not around, you're all he talks about. He misses you so much. And yeah, he really should tell you this stuff instead of us, but that's not how he works." Sam pulled her back into his arms and the young girl just burrowed into his chest, "I know its awful right now. No one can blame you for your grades for falling, or your attitude. Hell, I was worse than you are attitude wise and Dean was really bad at school. We all had our own shit to deal with though. I totally understand the whole moving thing too. Do you kno how many schools I've been at your age?"

"How many?" She croaked. 

"Twenty-seven."

She pulled back in surprise, "Are you serious?!"

Sam nodded, "Yeah. After my mom died in a house fire, dad couldn't deal. It was like the dad we had before died with her, at least that's what Dean said. He drank a lot, like to the point of black out. My Uncle Bobby took care of Dean and I until Dad lost his job, then the new house. We ended up moving all over the country, living in motels, pretty much anywhere cheap. Dean and I were pretty much left alone for weeks at a time."

"Jesus."

Sam nodded, "It was-it was really hard. That's why Dean and I are so close, he's pretty much my mom, dad, and big brother all rolled into one. For a long time we found it very hard to just live. We had a lot of baggage, but we made it through in the end." Sam cracked a small smile, "Are you going to tell your dad?"

Claire nodded, "Yeah but not today. I don't want to spoil his birthday. Sam?"

"Yeah?"

She wrung her hands and her eye darted away uncertainly, "Could you be there when I do tell him? I just need-"

"Of course I will, Claire."

She smiled brightly at him and hugged him tight, earning a soft grunt from the larger man, "Thanks."

* * *

They pulled up in front of Lucifer's house in no time, and Sam was still struck at how sweet the house looked, being there was only one person living in the large house. As they shut the doors to the car, Sam could hear the steady thunk of an axe on wood and knew they started without him. How early they started was anyone's guess really, but if he knew Gabe, Lucifer was doing all the work while the shorter man provided much unneeded commentary. He shared a look with the teenager and they both walked through the open garage and into the backyard.

Ye gods, Sam needed a moment.

He stopped short at the sight of a topless Lucifer, swinging an axe with such ease. His white shirt hung from his belt, his tanned skin shone with sweat, making his blonde hair spike up and look messier than usual. Ugh even the dumb plastic goggles he was wearing to protect his eyes were sexy, and why? Why did a man like that have to look so damned edible this early in the fucking morning??

And as if the gods were taking mercy on his poor self, Lucifer just happened to glance their way after setting another log up to chop and stopped. He pushed those stupid goggles up into his hair and grinned their way, and suddenly Sam was completely shook at the realization he looked just like his favorite character in a game he used to religiously play when he was a teen. 

Motherfuckin' Cid Highwind, everybody.

Unf.

Claire just ambled over as if the universe didn't totally just shift and Sam just....he needed a moment. Or for Lucifer to put his damn shirt on. Or not. He couldn't really decide what was needed at the moment short of a few less people and a whole lot less clothing. So he just stood there like a fucking weirdo. 

"Whatcha doin', Uncle Lu?" Claire sidled up, asking sweetly.

The blonde's eyes narrowed, "Chopping broccoli, what's it look like?"

"It looks like you're going to be teaching me how to chop some wood-like things."

That fucking wheezy laugh, "Oh, I don't think so sunshine."

"Come on Uncle Lu," She wheedled, "You're like, the coolest uncle I got. Teach me how to use the chainsaw."

"Come on Claire," He mocked, "You're like, the coolest niece I got. No." At her pout he smirked, "I just don't see how your singing will improve without a face. Just saying."

Claire pouted and stalked up to the patio, "You're no fun."

Lucifer leveled a look in mock hurt at Sam, "She said I'm no fun!"

Sam laughed so hard he snorted, then coughed to cover up the completely dorky reaction, "Well she's a kid, just throw something shiny her way and I'll bet she'll get distracted."  
Lucifer shrugged and rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah but her version of shiny is like, knives and shit. I doubt her dad will be okay with that. Maybe I'll let her eat the rest of the icing from Cas' cupcakes. I think that might make her like me again."

Sam really wanted to lick the rest of the icing off of Lucifer's distractingly delectable body, but the universe hated him. Sam sighed, "I think that's the only course of action for you. You like, completely destroyed her by not letting her cut limbs off with a chainsaw as big as her."

"Just imagine what she would do with an axe."

They both shuddered. 

Lucifer rolled his shoulders and grunted. He set the axe by the sizeable pile of logs he just chopped and pulled his shirt back on and said, "I think that might be enough wood for the fire, besides I have a ton around the corner anyway."

Sam frowned and looked behind him at the pile Lucifer was referring to and dear god, the whole side of the garage was covered in a wall of neatly chopped wood. What the hell? 

Sam looked back over and smirked, "Oh I don't know if that'll be enough. Seriously how long have you been doing this?"

Lucifer shrugged and grinned, "I didn't sleep much last night, or much this morning." Lucifer shifted from foot to foot and glanced up at the house. Not seeing anyone he motioned for Sam to follow him and curious, Sam followed. 

The garage was cooler than it was outside, smelling damp and like motor oil. Their feet shuffled loudly in the silence and Lucifer once again hopped up on the workbench, wedging his lithe body into the corner that was made with a metal shelf shoved up against the wall and workbench. He stretched up over his head and fished around on the top of the shelf and produced a lighter, and a plastic baggie with a few prerolled joints. 

"Don't really know if you wanna join but I've had far too much coffee and gotta chill the fuck out." Sam noticed, Lucifer's long fingers were shaking again and he wasn't sure if it was the coffee or whatever the hell happened to the other man last night. 

Throwing caution to the wind, Sam stepped closer, not realizing he was between the blonde's out stretched legs or the other man freezing at his proximity, "Here, cokehead, let me help. You'll set yourself on fire." Flipping his loose bangs to the side to keep his hair out of the flame he stuck the joint between his lips lightly and lit the paper quickly, taking a short drag before handing it back to Lucifer. 

The blonde took the joint slowly, watching the brunette quietly, equally wondering if he would sense how very close they were to each other and hoping he wouldn't. He smelled really good and looked gorgeous in the early morning light, looking all sleepy and rumpled in his borrowed hoodie. A stray thought made Lucifer cough out the smoke amateurly, that not only is his favorite hoodie was going to smell like himself but will also hold the object of his affection's woodsy smell. 

He had it sooo bad. 

"So," Sam started slowly, "Did Gabe mention a plan for today or are we pregaming before everyone shows up? He had me come over to help with wood but..." He shrugged. _You could totally help with my wood_ , Lucifer coughed again, his face turning red in embarrassment, "I honestly have no idea. Pregaming?"

Sam smiled brightly and dear heavens the young man needed to stop doing that. Fucking dimples and those fucking teeth, "You've never heard of pregaming? That's just-"

"Oh shut up," Lucifer snorted, "Come on I know what pregaming is, but I'm sure that's what Gabe is planning. Maybe. He said something about picking Kali up and that her and Claire were going out to eat before the party."

"So that leaves you and me all to our lonesome." Sam honestly didn't mean that to sound as low as it did, and really didn't mean to look at the blonde so heatedly. Honest. Truly. 

Not really.

Lucifer took a drag and looked back at him in consideration, knowing full well what the other man could have been implying but really wasn't sure if he was fucking with him or suggesting. He's run into that, getting the motor running but then the other one would back off, or he would. It was always something. Reasons not to do something he really was ready to do by now at this point in his life. "All to our lonesome to do all the work for the party. That fucker." Lucifer grinned and deflected the heated atmosphere. Sam really needed to move his fine self before Lucifer did something he was sure the younger man would balk at. 

The light bulb seemed to go off in Sam's head and that really shouldn't have looked as cute as it did, "Oh my god, what a toolbag!" He glared at the kitchen door as if he could set fire to the shorter man from there. Trust Lucifer, he tried constantly but his Jedi powers insisted on staying dormant, much to his dismay. 

Lucifer finished the joint quickly, he really needed to make a quick retreat to gain some breathing room. He wasn't a fucking teenager anymore so it would have been nice if his body caught that memo. Sam's smell, his face, his damn personality rolled into such an incredible package, that Lucifer had to get before the other man noticed anything embarrassing. 

He set the lighter and baggie back on the shelf and looked back at Sam, who was still watching him with warm hazel eyes. Lucifer leaned back a little, leaning on his hands and smiled. Nudging the young man on the hip with his boot gently he whispered, "I might need to get down from here at some point." 

Sam looked down at the boot, at his positioning, and then back at Lucifer. His eyes widened and he backed off, nervously laughing, "Sorry man. I just-"

Lucifer smiled gently, he thought so, "It's okay really. MML, ya know."

"MML?"

"Marajuana memory loss. You probably forgot you were even standing there. The shit I grow is pretty strong."

Sam's eyes boggled, "You grow that?"

Lucifer threw his head back and cackled, "Yes, yes I do. You can stop clutching your pearls any minute now."

Sam's face reddened and he smiled, "I just didn't think you'd be the type."

"To smoke but not grow?" Lucifer shrugged, "I forget that not everybody knows everything about me or my family. Trust me, ask any older person in this town and they'll tell you more than you needed to know. Most of it is rumor and flat out lies but I used to sell in high school, til a kid ratted me out. Good thing that I didn't look the type and had nothing on me when the cops came to search."

Sam nodded, "Yeah Gabe told me you first got him high using an apple."

Lucifer snorted, "Every one of my brothers-except Michael- I got high using an apple for a pipe. Bong? I don't know, but I was pretty handy with that."

"Even Cas?"

Lucifer chuckled and hopped off the workbench and wobbled slightly, "Oh yeah. He got so messed up. Ate almost everything in the fridge, and then slept for nine hours. I woke him up at two in the morning, told him to get ready for school, even made him breakfast. He rolled out and waited outside for the bus at the end of the road until realizing that it was Saturday."

Sam roared with laughter, and heavens, that was a sight. He was like a human Simba and Lucifer really needed to stop watching Disney movies with the kids. Shit was getting real.  
His laughter tapered off and Sam sighed, "That is insane. Castiel totally doesn't seem like the type."

They walked into the kitchen where Gabe and Claire were already sitting at the table expectantly. Lucifer looked at Sam over his shoulder, "There's a lot about Cas that you guys don't know about. He was a really good kid, and an even greater adult, but man the stories that I could te-ell!" The last word he sing-songed, and Claire giggled. 

"You really need to tell me stories about dad!"

"Princess, your dad would literally kill me if I told you half of what I know." Lucifer winked and walked over to the sink to wash his hands. 

Sam shot Gabe a questioning look and the shorter man held up a finger, and Sam nodded silently, they would talk soon. Hopefully Sam could get some answers to all of his fuckery. 

"Hey Sam," Gabe stood from his seat, "I need your help with the car seats in the back so that Claire can fit along with Kali's luggage."

"Sure." Sam smiled and followed the other man outside. As soon as the garage door shut behind them Sam folded his arms, "What the hell dude?"

Gabe looked back at him sheepishly, and unlocked the doors to his car, "Okay I'm sorry for lying to you like that but I didn't want him to accidentally see me text what I wanted to."  
The other man took a deep breath and continued, "Last night was really messed up for him, and because of that he couldn't sleep the whole night. I was facetiming with him all night because I couldn't be here and I needed to make sure he was okay. I'm just worried that if I leave him alone at the house he's going to go all screwy again and I want him to have a good time at the party, and not super depressed and staying in his room."

"Is it really that bad?" If it was, then maybe having Lucifer living by himself wasn't the option. He hated to say it, but maybe the older man needed professional help. 

Gabe shook his head, "He's not on suicide watch or anything but I'm just really worried about him. He seems to be like the old Lucifer when you are around and I think its good for him, really good actually. I think that if you were here, I wouldn't worry and he would have that good mood still going for when its all chaos again. If you don't want to, its fine, I just-"

"I'll stay."

"Really?"

Sam smiled, "He's a good guy, I like him. Also helps that he's not a serial killer, so I won't have to worry about him making me into a meatsuit, ya know?"

Gabe boggled at him, "Your mind is really freakin' weird, dude."

"I get that a lot."

* * *

Lucifer waved them off as Gabe and Claire drove off to pick up Kali, leaving him alone in the house with his greatest temptation. Honestly, he knew full well that the younger man could not have any possible interest in him, cause look at him. Guys like that never looked his way, they tended towards the better looking, younger men. It didn't bother Lucifer, even if it really did, but he was a realist. Who wanted an older guy that had pretty much no experience with the same sex? Who was still grieving for his family six years after the fact and looked like would never stop? Who cried the last time he-

Okay he was going downhill fast and really needed to get a grip.

Music.

Yes, music for the party, that's what he was planning on doing with his lonely afternoon. Now that he had Sam there, he could play some music with company and have an outsider's perspective so it wouldn't be jumping around all over the place. 

He could do this. Totally.

He took a fortifying breath and walked past the workbench quicker than normal, he was not going to get high again since he was still pretty buzzed. If he had any more he'd get the munchies and promptly sleep and that would just be rude. Unless Sam were to join....then something else was sure to happen that he knew the younger man would regret and he really didn't want to see that rejection face on Sam.

He strolled back into the house as if nothing was wrong to find Sam sitting at the table in the kitchen, petting Meg as if it were the most natural thing in the world.  
Except it wasn't, because Meg was pure demon and prided in that fact.

She let nobody but Lucifer pet her, and that's when she was feeling generous. On a good day he could stroke her back, and she would allow his shoulders to hold her frame as he went through the house. But she would never just sit in someone's lap and curl up like a normal cat. Let alone deign to have her fur smoothed ever so carefully by anyone. 

Dammit, now he's jealous of a fucking cat. Shit's getting far too real.

"I see you've made a friend."

Sam looked up and beamed, "I think she thought I was you. She hopped up on my shoulder but was all confused when she got a face full of hair."

Lucifer chuckled, "Yeah she likes to burrow her head into my neck when she's on my shoulder. I bet that was a new experience for her." He sidled over and reached out a hand to rub at her chin, only to get a nip on the finger, "Yeah she barely tolerates me today."

"Maybe I just have a way with animals."

"You have any pets?"

Sam shook his head, his smile dimming but not leaving his face as he continued to stroke Meg's fur, "No. My dad, well, he could barely take car of us. So getting food for a dog, or food and litter for a cat was out of the question. And we were on the move a lot. Plus, Dean's allergic to cats."

Lucifer smirked, "So maybe petting Meg might not be the best idea."

Sam shrugged, "Its a while yet to the party, and I can find a way back home to get a shower and change."

"You could always borrow my car."

At that Sam colored a little, "Um. That wouldn't be a good idea." At Lucifer's questioning look, Sam continued a little embarassed, "My license was revoked a while back. Long story short I got into some bad shit over a girl and everything snowballed from there. That's why I'm living with Dean and Emma, and why I don't drive myself. Its really embarassing."  
Lucifer nodded, "I understand. Gabe got his revoked a few years ago because of a major DUI. I'm telling you, getting involved with Kali was the best thing for him."

"Gabe never told me that."

"Well, I'm sure Gabe had his reasons. He doesn't tell people a lot of things, and says shit that doesn't need to be said out loud."

"Or text."

Lucifer nodded, "Or that. Anyway, its my job to select the music because if we leave it up to Gabriel he'd just hook up porn and house music and that shit is not staining my house. Would you care to help?"

"Sure, I like music."

"Who doesn't like music?" Lucifer snorted lightly and led him further into the house. Sam looked around as discreetly as possible, and noticed that some things were unpacked. There were picture frames lining the mantelpiece that weren't there last night, and even though Sam ached to go over and take a look, now was not the time. Maybe later when the other man was distracted. 

There were a few books lining the shelf that Sam hadn't noticed before, with a couple boxes sitting near it, all holding more. He wondered what the blonde thought interesting enough to read and childishly wondered if he read Harry Potter. He itched once again to snoop. He couldn't explain why he felt such an urge to figure the other man out, this went well beyond wanting to just sleep with him. This was wanting to get to know him on a far more personal level than he ever tried after Jessica. Maybe that was what his dream meant. He didn't know the hows or whys, he just knew what he really wanted to was to learn everything he could about the other man. Which wasn't creepy at all. 

Nope.

Lucifer was having his own inner turmoil, going into his spare room where his speakers were was like walking into a tomb. For two weeks he hadn't stepped foot in there other than to move everything from the moving truck into this room. Here held his instruments, stereo, speakers, all of his recording equipment that he hadn't used in years. What once gave him such peace just made his stomach tie in knots. He gave all of this up for her. For them. Now he was going to unearth everything and share something truly intimate to Lucifer with a near perfect stranger. Maybe he was just overthinking everything and needed to stop being a girl about this. 

Sam stopped in the doorway and whistled lowly, "Gabe told me you taught music but.."

Lucifer laughed quietly, "Yeah. I also was the director of the Glee club too. The school didn't have a lot of funding so all of this is mine, but when I left I made sure to donate as much as I could so that they could get decent equipment." Literally Sarah's entire life insurance policy went to the school's art program, he couldn't bear to do anything else with it. Not only did he think it would have been right for him to use it, the school truly needed what was given, and he knew that Sarah would have approved of the donation. He turned to Sam, "All that really needs to be moved are the speakers. I'm going to hook my laptop and stuff up and soon we'll be jammin'."

"Jammin'? Wow."

They worked quickly and efficiently and soon everything was hoked up and they were lounging on the patio listening to some songs to approve for the party. Sam was nodding along to the tail end of a song until-

_"You never make me stay, so take your weight off of me. I know your every move so won't you just let me be…"_

"Oh my god, that's my favorite band!" Sam sat up in excitement, "Dean totally gives me shit over it, but I've been a fan of Perdition since high school."

"Really."

Sam grinned, "Yeah really. We moved around a lot when I was a kid, so my brother and I only had the car and music. Dean gravitated more to stuff our dad liked, but there was this one night I was hanging out in the car while my dad and Dean were hustling pool-"

"What-"

Sam held up a finger, "I'll get to that. But anyway, I was hanging out in the car while Dean and my dad were in the bar and I guess it was a live band that night and every time the door opened I could hear them clear as day. But like, even with the door closed I could hear them. Oh my god, like the lead singer's voice was gorgeous and I ended up spending the rest of the night on the trunk of the car listening. I asked Dean who the band was when they came out and I saved every little bit of birthday money I got from our Uncle Bobby to get their cd. Pissed dad off cause he expected me to do something realistic with the money and Dean ended up getting me a walkman so I could just listen and drown shit out."

"So...I have so many questions." Lucifer turned his full attention on the brunette and steepled his fingers under his chin. He really couldn't pinpoint exactly the right questions to ask but luckily Sam was in a chatty mood, which was a sight to behold. If he thought the other man was handsome- and that was an understatement- he was downright heavenly now. 

"My mom died in a fire when I was six months old," Sam started quietly, "and after that my dad was just not the same. He drank, but he drank far more than that after."

"Damn, I'm sorry to hear that."

Sam shrugged, "I mean it sucked, like a lot. I guess it was worse for Dean cause he had mom for at least four years, established memories." Sam paused, "So like, the house got rebuilt. But dad couldn't really function, and we lost the rebuilt house. Ended up moving around a lot, and we were in a lot of schools. We didn't really have many friends, cause by the time we got to know people and the weird new kid stink wore off, we were gone again. Until we moved to Delaware, it was my junior going into senior year and I finally was able to spend a summer and made a really good friend who found out I liked Perdition."

"Sounds like he had good taste in music." He winked.

Sam chuckled, "Kind of. He was also into trance and K-Pop which I never really got into. But! It was like a week before my birthday and he scored us tickets to the band's final show. Like they weren't going to make anymore music together, and even though it sucked royally that they were breaking up, it was awesome cause I was finally going to be able to see them live."

"Ah, yeah, I heard something about that. I heard the lead singer couldn't do it anymore."

Sam frowned, "I heard he was getting married and wanted to settle down. Which was pretty commendable, you don't really see that happening much."

"So how was it?"

"That's just it," and Sam's voice took on a bitter tone, "the night we were supposed to go? Dad comes home, and we have to go. I mean I hadn't seen him for two weeks, we ran out of money for food and he just sails right on in to bust up our lives again. I mean, my friend understood but I was completely heartbroken. I don't think I spoke to him for the whole time we were driving."

And really, Lucifer had so many strong feelings about Sam's story that he had to just sit there and ruminate. Ruminate as in breath regularly to make his blood pressure go down. What kind of a father put drinking before his kids? What kind of a father moved them around and created absolutely no stability for them? It was amazing that they turned out the way they did, even though he didn't know them that well yet. 

It was more than apparent to Lucifer that the more time he spent around the young Winchester, the more he wanted to learn about him. He had it so bad, but at this point Lucifer didn't care, he would be happy if the younger man and he were just friends. A gorgeous friend he'll fantasize about, and probably made a drunken pass at and most likely get punched out or worse- let down gently...shudder- but still. 

"Did I overshare?" Sam questioned softly, "Dean thinks I overshare with new people."

"Not at all."

"Its just, you got all red and stopped blinking." Sam grimaced.

Lucifer leaned back and sighed, "I just...find it hard to stay calm when I hear stories like this. If it would help make you feel better I could tell you a not so secret secret."

"Please cause I think I'm drowning here."

Lucifer crinkled his nose and pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He took a long drag before starting, "So I just happen to know the lead singer to Perdition."

Sam's face lit up again and if Lucifer could he would do whatever was in his power to keep him looking that happy forever, "No fucking way!! Are you serious?!"

"Very."

Sam slumped back in his seat, blinking at Lucifer in amazement, "I-I don't know what to say."

Lucifer smiled wide and clicked something on his laptop, "Well you could hook up your little music player into my laptop and get all of their music, and say 'thank you ever so much Luci! You're so wonderful!' you know, to start."

And dammit the brunette had to blush pretty too, "You have all of their music? Seriously? How?"

Lucifer exaggeratedly rolled his eyes, "I to-old you I know the lead singer, all of their stuff is on here, from before they got out there to the end of their time as a band. A lot of it are covers to other songs, but I have all of their original stuff as well. Hop you have a lot of space on that thing, or I can just send it all to you, or burn it. But who listens to cds anymore?"

"I do. Dean, Cas, Gabe-"

"Yeah, yeah," the older blonde waves him off, "I was trying not to sound my age but whatever."

"Thanks, man," Sam smiled, "I really appreciate this."

"Its no problem to me at all," _Cause I am totally warm for your form_ , "Also I have his number, we can call him later. But we'll have to use your phone because I'm expecting a phone call."

Sam's eyes boggled, "That's..."

"Yeees?"

"Thank you ever so much Luci. You're so wonderful."

"Good boy."

The rest of the afternoon was spent listening to music, and getting the backyard ready for the upcoming party. It didn't take too long to set up the tables, and Castiel wasn't big on balloons or streamers but silly string Lucifer insisted was a must. They set up large coolers and filled them with ice, putting the frightening amounts of alcohol in them along with various sodas and juice. The kids would be there for a short time, then Claire and the twins would be carted off to Gabe's house where Kali would entertain them. 

An alert went off on Sam's phone as they were hooking up Lucifer's massive speakers, -Would you have a problem getting your own ride home tonight? Bobby is keeping Emma til tomorrow and I was going to stay at Cas's.

Sam snorted and Lucifer looked up from the wires, "If that's the same video that Gabe just sent me let me just say 'eww'."

Well now Sam was intrigued, "No, but table that thought. Dean just messaged me about staying at Cas' tonight. I'll have to get my own ride."

"I'm sure either Gabe or I will give you a ride. Unless one or the both of us starts drinking then you can just crash on the couch. I can guarantee that I'll have a full fucking house tonight of drunk people." At Sam's 'I don;t want to impose look' Lucifer snorted, "I'm fully comfortable with people being here. If you were a perfect stranger I had just met today you could very well sleep outside but you're not, and as long as you won't turn me into a lampshade for your apartment you are more than welcome to crash on the couch." Or my bed...

"Okay," Sam shrugs, "That works." `-Lu or Gabe will give me a ride unless we all get fucked up, then I'll just crash here.`

`Dbag: where's 'here'?`

`-Lu's`

`Dbag: seriously? XD`

`-what? `

`Dbag:Nothing, have fun. use protection`

`-I hate you.`

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and concrit feeds mah beast! Mrowr!


	6. Talking Bodies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Talkin' Bodies" covered by Somo is what inspired the first part of this chapter. A few hours before the party, Sam and Lucifer are getting closer. Enter Dean to thoroughly embarrass his little brother, and entertain Lucifer at the same time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your continued interest, and I'm deeply sorry for the long time in between updates. Between a promotion at work and problems with the ex and both kids being sick its been...difficult. So thank you for all of your comments, they really help.

 

`Sammy: I hate you. `

Dean snorted as he laid his phone on the table after he exited the bathroom. The mist curled languidly into the room from the steam of his shower, while Dean padded quietly into the room, while keeping one hand on the white towel slung low on his hips.

"Something funny?" Castiel's whiskey rough voice rumbled lowly through the room from the rumpled bed. Dean glanced up and grinned at the sleep tousled man with his epic bed hair. Castiel twisted into a more comfortable position by lounging at the edge of the bed, and trailed his heavy-lidded eyes down Dean's damp form.

Beads of moisture from the shower glittered over Dean's tanned skin, sliding down his chest and well-defined abs, only to disappear under the edge of his towel. He watched as Castiel licked his lips, his nostrils flared slightly as Dean approached with a smirk quirking his lips, "See something you like?" He asked mock innocently.

"Oh yes," Cas said slowly, cool and coy, "I think so."

With that their eyes locked, and Cas cocked his head to the side. Dean ran his hand through Cas's mussed hair sweetly before pushing his shoulder back, a sharp shove that caused the other man to fall flat on his back in the covers.

Dean knocked Cas' legs apart as slid in between and slowly sunk down on his knees, causing his towel to come undone and pool around his calves. Dean looked at Cas intently as his strong hands gently cupped over Castiel's ankles and proceeded to massage them. Castiel snorted and squirmed a little with anticipation. "You're such a fucking tease," he groaned as his arm draped over his eyes when the other man cracked an impish grin, not able to keep his serious face going .

Dean reached up to dance across the sensitive skin of his waist, reveling in the sharp breath that issued forth. He lowered his head and nuzzled from his belly button down to the waistband of Castiel's pajama pants. Castiel squirmed again, nudging Dean gently in the side with a clothed knee. Dean dropped his head further and huffed a hot breath on Cas' hard, clothed cock. Castiel cursed and gripped Dean close cropped hair, arching his hips impatiently. Taking pity on his lover, Dean gripped the waistband of his pants and with a sharp pull they slid down past Cas's lean thighs and down over his knobby knees.

Dean moved back a little and studied the state Castiel was in, his eyes couldn't help but focus on the hard length jutting from the nest of neatly trimmed pubic hair. _Oh no_ , he thought, _its not time for you yet._ He smirked again as Castiel propped up to watch what Dean was doing, and blew him a kiss as he removed Cas' pants and tossed them behind himself. His strong hands slowly drug up the outside of his calves, nails raking his thighs gently and giving his hips a firm squeeze. He began kissing up his legs , his eyes not leaving the other's, taking a small nip as he goes just above his knee. The bite caused Cas to gasp and then bite down on his lower lip.

Dean grinned and nipped his way up his powerful thighs, kissing the small hurts sweetly, drinking in the sharp breaths issuing from above him. Finally he reached where Cas wanted him the most. He ran the tip of his tongue up the shaft, encouraged to flick the head as Cas hissed and groaned. Castiel hissed and raked his nails through Dean's short-cropped hair as the other man lithely ran his teeth down over his lover's sensitive flesh. Dean grinned and laved his tongue over the path his teeth took, reveling in the moan his actions elicited.

"Please," Castiel groaned.

Dean lapped at the head and huffed out a warm breath, ran his hands soothingly up and down his lover's thighs.

"Dean," Castiel breathed.

Dean brushed his lips over the purpling head of Castiel's aching cock before closing his mouth over it and swirling his tongue to collect the salty precum pearling at his slit. A growl was his only warning as the hand in his hair clenched and his head was pulled back to gaze into the darkened blues eyes above him. The other man panted harshly for a few breaths before saying calmly, "Get up here."

Dean bit his bottom lip and shivered lightly at the command, and did what he was bid. His lover growled lowly as Dean slowly crawled up his body and hovered above him, "So...good morning, birthday boy."

Castiel fought the smile threatening to break out, "I want you."

Dean ducked his head down and deflected the kiss Castiel was sure he was going to give, instead brushed their noses together, "I know."

"I don't wanna play with you anymore."

Dean snickered at the unconvincing glare he received, "Then I guess I'll just have to just take my toys and go," he yelped as Castiel rolled them over, effectively trapping the other man underneath him. He gasped in a breath as Castiel caressed his arms and gripped them in one hand over his head.

"Oh, you're not going anywhere."

"Well that escalated quickly."

"Don't care," Castiel kissed him hard.

* * *

 

Sam sat on the couch scrolling through news articles as Lucifer showered quickly, they were going to be heading out soon to stop over at Sam's place and to pick up the twins. Lucifer suggested they grab a quick lunch and let the boys run off some energy at the nearby park; since Sam was eager to spend as much time with the other man as possible, he was all for it. Sam could hear the running water through his bathroom door and decided to not think about any damn thing.

`G-Man: How's it hanging, big man?`

Sam snorted and replied`-I could say so many things, and none of them PG. How's Kali?`

`G-Man: Tired af. Her plane had mucho turbulence and she's super nauseous. I don't think she'll make the party.`

Sam frowned, he'd never heard of Kali falling ill at any given time. She would always be the one to take care of Gabriel or the boys whenever they got sick. `-That really sucks, man. I hope its nothing too serious.`

`G-Man: Could just be jet lag, but Idk. How's Lucille?`

_Naked, wet, and totally unavailable..._ ` -Getting changed and then we'll be picking up the boys. Anything off the menu?`

`G-Man: Uriel doesn't like meat this week, and Raph will eat anything. Please no sugar until the party, no matter how much begging. Kali would literally destroy me.`

He heard the water shut off and could just imagine the other man stepping out of the shower, water skating down his rangy frame. He could see in his minds eye the fluffy towel being slung low on his hips, just inches above- Sam sighed in utter frustration. -`K.`

`G-Man: u ok, boo?`

Sam bit his bottom lip. `-Could I get a ride with you tonight after the party? I need to talk to you.`

`G-Man: Of course Sambo. Is everything okay??`

`-I hope so.`

Sam stashed his phone into his pocket as Lucifer strolled out into the livingroom, smelling and looking...damn. The other man was dressed simply in dark jeans and a grey tshirt with the Deathly Hallows on it, and Sam was gone. Every new facet that was revealed about the other man made him fall just a little bit more into way-more-than-like category.

He watched as the blonde grabbed his keys and squinted a moment, patting his pockets as he did so. His gaze darted around the room until he spotted his wallet lying right next to where his keys were, Sam tried valiantly to hide his snicker.

Hearing the muffled laughter, Lucifer grinned and flipped him off good-naturedly. Sam returned the gesture and followed him to the door to the garage, where they stomped into their shoes and boots respectively. Lucifer opened the door and hopped down the few steps into the cool garage where Lucifer's white Durango was parked.

Sam whistled, "Nice car."

The other man grinned, "Thanks. I had a bit left over from buying the house, and figured I needed something that could haul the kids and had enough trunk space." He grabbed one of the car seats and opened the door behind the driver's side and started buckling it in.

"So you opted for a tank," Sam chuckled as he grabbed the other car seat and skirted around to the door behind the passenger side. He buckled it in quickly then hopped into the passenger seat.

"Hey doubt me all you want," Lucifer shrugged and smiled toothily, "I fit my desk and three of those big storage tubs in this bitch."

"I sit corrected then." Sam conceded.

"That you do," Lucifer agreed, starting the car and pressed a button to open the garage door. Buckling his seatbelt he glanced over at Sam and nodded silently when he witnessed Sam buckling himself in. He flicked on the radio and lowered the music filtering through the speakers, rolled down their windows and finally pulled out a pack of cigarettes, "Mind if I smoke?"

Sam shook his head, "I don't care. Dean used to smoke all the time til Emma came along, and before that, my dad smoked around us."

Lucifer shook his head and made a face, "My dad did that. I'm surprised we never had any breathing problems." He pulled out a cigarette and lit up, taking a long pull. As he backed out of the garage quickly, he blew the acrid smoke out of the window.

*       *       *

Castiel panted harshly as he thrust hard inside Dean, gripping his lovers thighs that were wrapped over his shoulder and hip. Dean moaned brokenly as his fingers raked through the bedclothes over his head. Their eyes locked and Dean bit his lip, "F-fuck, yeah baby. Fuck me hard."

Cas huffed out a breath and slowed his pistoning hips, rolling them languidly and rolled his head back, "It's my birthday, I'll do you how I want."

Dean snorted despite himself which caused Cas to moan at the movement it caused, "'Do you'? What are we, twelve?"

Cas paused and made a serious face, "That would make us minors who should be watching Disney not the pizza man."

Dean glared at Cas, bending up to grip the back of his lover's head and braced his shoulder against the headboard, "Shut up." With that he crashed their lips together, licking into the brunette's mouth and ground their hips.

Castiel cursed and squeezed the other man against him, burying his face into Dean's neck to bite and suck at the vulnerable, clean flesh. Dean tossed his head back in ecstasy, the brunette's sharp teeth against his sensitive skin and his thick hard cock fucking into him was getting him there quicker than he expected. Cas reared back, taking his lover's full weight and thrust into him slowly, rhythmically.

"Come on baby," Dean panted into his ear, "Make me-"

*     *     *

"Come on," Lucifer laughed, "You can't tell me that Hermione and Draco never had a 'thing'."

"No, she would never have a crush on him," Sam chuckled back, emphatically shaking his head, "she was completely devoted to Ron and Harry. The war was far too important to her."

"She was a teenage girl with hormones, same as Harry and Ron." Lucifer fired back firmly, making a right turn and checking all his mirrors, "and besides, I'm not talking about love here. I'm taking about wanting to-"

*      *     *

"Fuck me, Cas!" Dean pleaded, pushing him onto the bed to roll his hips down. Cas raked his nails down Dean's toned thighs, digging his heels into the mattress to meet Dean's pistoning hips.

Dean smoothed his hands over Cas's chest comfortingly before running his blunt nails back down his sweaty torso. His lover arched his back, his beautiful blue eyes rolled back in his skull as Dean swiveled his hips tantalizingly. Dean groaned as he rocked his hips, "I've been thinking about this for weeks. God, I missed you so much baby, love the way your fucking-"

*      *     *

"-dick!" Lu shouted as a car swerved back into their own lane before speeding away, his toned forearm pressed against Sam's chest in the classic soccer mom save. His heart hammered in his chest for a few seconds as he breathed to steady himself. He pulled back into their lane safely, waving at an older lady as she let him through.

Sam fought the smile as a warmth blossomed in his chest from the save, "That was a little scary there."

"'S why we need a new plague, too many stupid humans procreating and teaching their children its fine to be on your damn phone while you're driving. Never mind you're driving a couple ton weapon." His sharp blue eyes caught Sam's expression and rolled his eyes, "Sorry. I don't usually get out much and I'm on edge."

"Its okay," Sam soothed quietly, "I understand totally. After my wreck, it took a lot to get me to go outside, much less into a car, but I had no other way of getting to the funeral-" Sam froze as his stomach roiled in upset. He really didn't know why that last part slipped out. He was actively trying not to think about anything other than being with Lucifer. He took a breath as the silence grew. He didnt notice as the car parked outside of his house, and the navigator proclaimed they had reached their destination, he only startled as he felt a hand cupping his shoulder gently.

"Hey, its okay." Lucifer smiled gently, "you don't have to say anything, I get it. Its a pretty off day for the both of us I expect. I can stay in here if you w-"

"No!" Sam cleared his throat at the unexpected volume at the word, "no. Its cool- I mean- you met Dean and obviously know Cas and its cool. Really."

"Okay," Lucifer acquiesced softly, clearing his throat as he pulled back and took the keys out of the ignition, "Just maybe leave your door open? I just don't know how comfortable I am looking at your drawings with your door closed, I'm a good girl you know."

Sam looked at him over the roof of his car in askance, before rolling his eyes as he got the joke, "Oh my God."

"Not yet." Lucifer snickered and trotted after the taller man. He held his hands behind his back as he waited for Sam to unlock the door, idly rocking back on his heels and checking out the porch, anything not to stare at the nicely muscled back underneath the other man's incredibly well-fitting shirt. He could hear a muffled thumping from inside and tried to figure out what song Dean had blaring from the loud beat. For the life of him he couldn't figure it out and it was like it was on the tip of his-

"Oh god, yes! Fuck me Cas! That's it! Right there baby, right there! Oh god, yes you're making me c-" Sam slammed the door as hard as he could as Dean's howl of completion reached the streets, the younger man's face was beet red in embarrassment as Lucifer doubled over, clutching his stomach as he backed into the pillar of the porch and sliding down to die of laughter comfortably.

"This has to be one of the most worst moments of my life." Sam moaned through his hands that were covering his face. He shook his head slowly and shuddered as that made the other man lose it again.

"Just be glad you didn't walk in on them!" Lucifer said with difficulty as he wheezily laughed. There were literal tears rolling down his face, "I swear the amount of times I've seen Gabe or Cas's ass-" Lucifer breathed heavily as he tried to pull himself together, running his hands over his face to dry the tears, "I mean, if it wouldn't blind me permanently I would have wash my eyes out with bleach. Did you know Gabe has a birthmark that looks just like a question mark on his left ass cheek?"

Sam joined him on the porch step and snorted, "No, I've never seen Gabe's ass at all."

"Be glad. Be very, very glad."

"I have seen Cass's ass once." Sam said distantly, picking at a piece of wood sticking up.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

Lucifer grinned and leaned back on his elbows, "Do tell."

Sam pulled a face at the other man, "Why is me seeing your brother's ass of interest to you?"

Lucifer shrugged then nodded at the door, where it was suspiciously silent all of a sudden, "You wanna go in there after that? There might be an encore depending how long its been for them."

"They're amost forty, encores are like, almost impossible."

"Its happened. Trust me."

"No way in hell." There was absolutely no way, they weren't teenagers anymore.

Lucifer's brows arched and he smirked, "Trust me."

Sam stared at the other man until his face turned red for significantly different reasons, and he coughed before facing the street, "So it was a year ago and we were up really late one night playing Guitar Hero and drinking Jager-"

Lucifer snickered at both Sam's blush and at the subject change, "Very grown up of all of you."

"Says the guy that openly admitted to watching Moana without the kids around."

"It was after marathoning American Horror Story and I needed a palate cleanser. Plus Moana is hot."

Sam looked at him in disgust, "Eww. Dude, that's a Disney movie."

Lucifer snorted, "And? They really know how to design a character. Look me in the eye and tell me honestly you never got hot and heavy over an animated character." They stared at each other in challenge before Lucifer smirked and shifted to get comfortable, "Go ahead. I'll wait."

Flashes of a very famous red headed mermaid and a certain beast turned man floated through Sam's mind, and he grunted before looking away again and grinning at Lucifer's crow of victory 'I knew it! You dirty bird!', "Anyway, we got really trashed cause after the Jager, Dean brought out more booze. I ended up passing out on the chair and don't really know what happened after that. They must have slept together that night because when I woke up all I saw was Cas's naked ass standing in front of the fridge. I guess he was getting some water or something but I acted like I was still asleep when he turned around."

"I knew you weren't sleeping." The two men froze, and Sam's face went from pale to red in almost two seconds flat.

Lucifer worried for his blood pressure and then snorted, "Can never win a game of opossum with him. Its like his sixth sense."

Sam rubbed his face and sighed, "Ugh, just tell me Dean's in his room and not in the living room this time."

Cas's face morphed into the most disturbingly self satisfied look Sam had ever seen, "Oh he's not leaving the bed for a while."

"And that's my cue to leave the porch," Sam hopped to his feet and started to enter the house. He looked over his shoulder to the blonde who was still seated, "You can come with if you want Lu, you don't have to stay outside."

 _I'll follow you through the gates of Hell if that's the view I get to see_ , Lucifer inhaled through his nose while watching Sam retreat into the depths of his abode, "Not that I'm complaining, but isn't it a tad early in our relationship to share a shower?"

Sam paused with his hand on the door knob, and Lucifer could have sworn he was counting to ten, "Uhh...I mean.. you don't- like there's-"

Cas snorted, "I think you broke our moose."

Lucifer cackled and stood up, "I was just kidding." _No I wasn't._  "Doubt there would be room anyway." _There doesn't have to be any room at all!!_  He winked at the tall brunette and could see Sam visibly relax. Seeing the other man shake his head and grin that toothpaste commercial grin made Lucifer's belly flip flop. God, he had it so bad this was getting a tad ridiculous. He wished it was just sexual frustration, but he had dealt with that longer than it was healthy and he was just fine. Something about that tall drink of water made him just want to...climb inside and just exist with the other man, just share every little experience with him.

Yeah that didn't sound creepy at all.

Lucifer shook his head as he followed the brunette into his cozy house, and immediately was taken aback at the massive dvd collection, "Holy shit."

"Yeah sorry its a little messy, I've been meaning to-" Sam made an undignified noise as the blonde brushed past him to his and Dean's dvd collection. With a sinking feeling he could just see Lucifer pick out everything of Dean's to catch his interest. At any rate, if they were to get the boys, he needed to get a shower. The funk was real.

He took the shortest shower he ever had before, and changed just as quickly. After dithering over whether or not he should put Lu's hoodie on or not, until he realized he was acting like a thirteen year old girl, he shrugged it back on. He walked out of his room blissfully unaware that his douchey older brother was awake and about to threaten everything Sam held dear at the moment.

"I haven't seen Drop Dead Fred in such a long time," Lucifer said quietly while stroking the spine of the case. Maybe there was some hope after all.

"Yeah that's one of Sammy's go-to movies as a kid. Little weirdo," Dean said with his stupidly loud voice. "Real book smart and no friends. Like zero. Except for Sully."

Oh god, Sam was actually going to kill him.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," Douchcanoe of the century said around a large bite of muffin, "Sully was his 'special friend'."

Complete with air quotes.

"Dean. Seriously." Sam truly wished he had super Jedi powers cause at this moment? He'd force choke the shit out of him. He turned the Puppy Eyes of Pleading on Cas, but the brunette just cocked his head to the side like he was fucking Data and had no idea what Sam was trying to convey with his human face.

He hated them both. So much.

"And he was so weird about him too," The more Dean talked the deeper he dug his own grave, "Like all whispery and playing weird games, like, all the time. I was seriously thinking he was going to start doing that 'redrum' bullshit like that kid in the Shining."

"Well, now that I'm thoroughly humiliated, I'm ready to leave now." After taking a swipe at his Seriously Dead older brother on his way out- which he dodged by only a hair- Sam and Lucifer walked outside into the wonderful sunshine. Sam silently slithered into the passenger side and dejectedly put his seat belt on. Any hope he had of possibly hooking Lucifer was off the table. Until the blonde spoke.

"Mine was Murphy," The quiet thrum of the tires on the asphalt the only accompaniment, "He was a tall fuzzy cat thing."

Sam slowly looked over at his crush of the century, "Say what now?"

The other man smirked and kept his eyes on the road, pleasantly he said, "My imaginary friend. See, Michael and I were the only two for a while. Michael was a few years older than me and he wanted to hang out with his other friends so that left me alone with my toys. I got really bored and got into a lot of trouble because of it; cause you know, finding out how a vcr worked was all well and good when you take it apart, not so much when you have to put it back together. So I was put on medication- ritalin or something like that- anyway, I didn't have a lot of friends because I acted out a lot and bit a few. "

"You bit people?"

Lucifer made a 'please' face at him quickly, signalling the turn he was making on to Jo's street, "I was a kid on drugs. Of course I bit people." The blonde shifted in his seat, "So I didn't make friends for a long time, until Gabe came along and so I made myself a friend."

Sam smiled sadly at the thought of a cute, lonely tow-headed forced to make up a friend. He wished they knew each other then. "Sorry about Dean. He's-"

"An older brother asserting his role and dominance in front of someone he perceives as threatening the affection and attention his little brother holds. Like somehow, you'll end up liking me more than him." He more than just likes Lucifer, but he sounded a bit on point.

"Well he's not doing himself any favors in that regard. I currently do like you more than him right now." Sam frowned, "How...?"

"I watch a lot of Animal Planet and Netflix documentaries." The other man flashed a smile at Sam then, "That and I'm an older brother, so I get where he's coming from. Although I did that shit around their girlfriends and not so much their friends but I guess its the same thing."

Sam chuckled, "Yeah, must be."

*     *     *

Lucifer hated leaving his house. One reason were the other drivers, most if not all of them were idiots that could barely read to begin with. The other reason was other people in general. It didn't help that he lived in a very small town and even though **he**  moved his family didn't, and people liked to talk. His stomach knotted in dread as he pulled up to his nephews' babysitter's house, which was right next to the last man he wanted to see.

Harry Spangler.

The guy was nice and all- utimate geek- but had this ability to just irritate the shit out of the blonde. He couldn't put his finger onto why, it was just one of those things. Irritation at first sight. Maybe it was the way he hung around with Gabe before his brother met his now wife, or how he just had to be 'in the know' so to speak, but the guy just really rubbed him the wrong way. And god, now he recognized Lucifer's car. He had to talk to him. If he didn't it would get back to Gabe and it would end up in weird conversation and more dive bombing of his house at fuck early in the morning.

"Oh god its Harry," Sam groaned.

Lucifer could have crowed with delight. "You don't like that guy?"

"Not really," Sam said slowly, "He's okay and all. He's just-"

"Fucking weird?"

"Yeah."

"Nosey?"

"Yes."

"Creepy religious?"

" **Hell yes.** "

Lucifer nodded, and rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses at the overly enthusiastic wave he received from the short brunette outside. His fucking polo pissed him off, and he hadn't even gotten out of the car yet. "Tell ya what," Lucifer started as they unbuckled their seat belts, "I'll throw myself on the bomb while you make a run for it."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded, "Yeah. I'm sure the twins are still raising hell in there, so it will give her a chance to talk to a real live adult for a few minutes while I scare him away." He hoped it would just be a short conversation but there was no telling with Harry. As the car came to a stop in Jo's driveway, Lucifer and Sam shared a look and took a deep breath. The blonde pulled his key out as the short man in the lawn beside Jo's house turned and noticed a new car in her driveway. Naturally the man was interested, and as Lucifer hopped out of the driver's side, the man approached the bushes with a friendly smile on his face and the watering hose in his hand made a few careful sweeps of the lawn around him. Sam hurried into the house as Lucifer trudged to his perceived doom, the other man none the wiser as he held up a hand in greeting, "Well Lucifer Schurley as I live and breathe! I haven't seen you in ages!"

Lucifer gave him a close lipped, tight smile in return, "Same to you, Harry. How's the missus?"

Harry nodded and beamed, "She's doing great! In her second trimester, found out we're having a girl this time!"

Fuck he forgot they had a kid with another on the way. He suddenly wished he could disappear.

The smile faded from Harry's face and pulled a grimace, "Aw man. I can't believe I forgot. Seriously," and here came the careful, caring tone that set Lucifer's teeth on edge every time he heard it, "how've you been?"

Lucifer's head bobbed jerkily and he shoved his hands into his jeans pockets, "I'm fine, really. Take everything day by day."

"Still though," Stupid frowning face, "It still must be pretty hard."

Yeah, losing your wife and baby in a home invasion gone wrong would probably fuck anyone up, but who was Lucifer to say, "Yeah it was hard at first. But its been a very long time."

Harry nodded knowingly, as if the same thing happened to him. Which it didn't. He had the apple pie, cookie cutter, 50's retro life he always wanted. While Lucifer did everything he could to cope day by day. Every single hour was a struggle while Harry of all people got to enjoy the blissfully ignorant life he fell into. The short brunette shrugged, "Well, God doesn't give you what you can't handle. Where a door shuts, another opens. I'll have my church pray for you."

And that right there- those words drained all color out of the blonde. How many times had he heard that over the years, along with 'God always finds away', 'they will always be with you', and always some form of 'they are with the angels now'. He kept his hands in his pockets, but clenched them into fists. He ached to grab that stupid green hose and wrap it around the short man's neck until his face turned purple and his eyes popped out of their sockets. He wanted to just get into his car and gas it to 100mph and plow it right into his cheerful fucking yellow house, running over him and his stupid yapping dog- Lucifer took a calming breath, "Save it. From my experience, there isn't a God. And if there was? He's not listening." With that he turned around and walked slowly up the stairs, relishing the shocked silence his words ensued. He really didn't give a shit if the other man gossiped to everyone else in his congregation. He was pretty sure it would reach back to Cas or Claire in some way and knew that out of everyone, they would understand. He had lost his faith a long time ago, back when he was forced to pick up his absentee's father slack and raise his brothers at a young age. Bad things happened to everyone, and it sucked. But don't tell Lucifer that God was watching over him because as far as he was concerned? God didn't exist.

*     *     *

As Sam let Jo's door shut behind him, he took a cleansing breath in relief. It wasn't that he hated Harry Spangler, the man was the type to make friends with everyone. He was a member of Cas' church, and helped him through one of the hardest crisis in the man's life. Hell, if it wasn't for a few caring words from Harry, he doubted Cas would have taken the leap like he did. He was a very good friend, it was just- There was something not right. Every time he talked to the man, his nerves would just grate. Though his words and questions were careful and unassuming, he couldn't help the fact he was being interrogated or infringed upon.

He shook himself, the man wasn't worth thinking about. He took another breath and smiled at the scent of flowers and fresh linen- how he missed this house. Ellen was like an adoptive mom to Sam and his brother. After their father died, they had nothing and no one. Ellen was the one that took them under her wing and helped them get on their feet. They lived in this house for a few year until Dean and he were able to get their home. Jo had become their little sister, they watched her grow up into a smart and capable woman- and hard as nails like her mother. When Jo decided to go into child care, and turned their home into a private daycare, Dean and Sam did all the necessary upgrades the house needed to hold multiple children. Not that the house was rundown, but it was old and Ellen didn't have anyone but herself and Bobby to fix up the place. There was no time for her or Bobby to do it anyway, with running the Roadhouse and the autoshop like they did.

He surveyed the damage that a day with many youngsters ensued: toys galore were strewn over the carpet, arts and craft supplies took over her dining table with a few older kids concentrating on whatever it was they were making. It looked to be a ton glitter and little pieces of paper, so Sam was going to make sure he steered clear of that area. A baby was happily dancing away in her bouncer while Uriel was quietly coloring at Jo's coffee table and Raphael was curled up on the couch watching a cartoon. Which sent up a red flag for Sam, because from what he knew of the little three year old, Raphael was just like his father- rambunctious as all get out.

"Hey there, Sammy!" Jo trotted out from the kitchen and smiled at him.

His face brightened and he stooped to hug the small woman, "Hey, how've you been?"

"Great," She shrugged, "Busy. Dean wasn't upset with me was he?"

Sam pulled a face and shook his head, "No, he'd never be upset with you. He's got to get used to taking her places, and he's always anxious when it comes to her anyhow."

She nodded and smiled, "Oh yeah. If I don't get a call or a text checking up on her at least three times a day then I worry. Bobby's got her in his office, they're listening to music while he goes over paperwork. Last I checked, she was asleep."

"Awesome," His eyes darted to the closed door where he could hear classical music playing faintly, "I'm going to pop in real quick and say hi."

"Go right ahead," she motioned, "He needs a distraction anyway. All I've heard from him this morning were grumbles, cooing and music."

He gingerly stepped over a doll and some blocks, quietly worried about how their house will look later one when Emma got older. That was something that future!Sam and future!Dean would have to worry about however. He turned the knob and silently opened the door, maneuvering his way quietly into the room. "Hey," he whispered to the older man, "How's it going?"

Bobby shrugged, "As well as it can be. How're you doing, son?"

That word never failed to make his chest ache, "I'm good. Just checking up on you guys, and the twins' uncle is here to get them."

"Cas? i thought that's why I was watching the little princess over there."

Sam shook his head, "No, not Cas. Lucifer."

"Damned strange name for a kid."

"Well you've heard the stories about their dad, he was pretty strange."

"Has Cas had any luck finding him?" The older man asked carefully.

Sam shook his head, "Nope. Dean has convinced him to just let it be for a bit, at least until Lu is settled. He just moved back about two weeks ago."

Bobby cocked his eyebrow at the younger man, "Oh, 'Lu' is it?"

Cue the face, "Yeah. You should hear the names Gabe calls him."

Bobby nodded and then shuddered, "That guy is weird. How he's not gummin' it is beyond me."

Sam snickered and approached Emma's little bassinet, the little baby was sound asleep with her thumb in her mouth, her sooty eyelashes resting peacefully against her cheeks. Seeing her like this made Sam hope for someday having a baby of his own, but he knew that was wish that might not be granted in his lifetime. He twitched her soft blanket a little closer under her chin, and smoothed her hair gently. She didn't move or utter a peep, which let him know she was going to be out for a longer while. It was good for her, she needed the rest. "I'm going to get the twins ready, holler if you need me."

Bobby stood up and walked around his desk to silently pull the taller man into a gruff hug, "Don't be a stranger, boy. Ellen really misses you boys."

Sam smiled and patted the other man's back, knowing full well he didn't just mean that Ellen missed them. To be honest, Sam missed the older man fiercely, and greatly regretted the things he said to him when he was running with the wrong people. Luckily Bobby forgave, said he'd always forgive him, but Sam couldn't forgive himself and thus stayed away for a long time. Now that he was feeling a little more himself, he felt a little disconnected due to the time he spent away. There was nothing he could do but try to repair the broken relationships and hope for the best. "I miss you too." Sam pulled back and sniffed while Bobby blinked over his shoulder. The gruff posturing of two men that were too manly to acknowledge they were both teddy bears under all the muscle and flannel.

Sam heard the door quietly click shut in the other room and knew Lucifer survived the grenade. As he stepped back into the living room and noticed Lucifer's stooped posture and ashen face, Sam knew the conversation outside didn't go well. Sam's head tilted to the side as he approached the other man, noticing the slight sheen to his eyes that had nothing to do with the brightness outside. He put a hand on the blonde's shoulder, "Are you okay."

Lucifer smirked, though the mirth didn't reach his eyes, "Loaded question."

Sam nodded, "Yeah, I figured that." He stepped back when Lucifer sighed, his hand slipping from his frame.

The blonde scanned the room and settled on the boys, Uriel carefully coloring in between the lines with the colors he selected while Raphael scribbled with a bright orange crayon all over the coloring page. They both looked very intent on what they were doing until, like a sixth sense, they both popped their heads up to see their uncle standing there with a small smile on his face. Their little faces erupted into joy, they abandoned their artwork and ran pell-mell over to Lucifer shouting, "Luci! Luci!"

Lucifer chuckled and then grunted as each boy wrapped their little frames around his legs. He tousled their hair asking, "So I guess you guys are cool with me picking you both up today, huh?"

Jo stepped back into the room and smiled at the boys, "I wondered what all the commotion was about, but this answers my question. I take it you're their uncle?"

The blonde nodded, "Yeah, I'm Lucifer.Everyone either calls me Lu, and I take it you're Jo?"

She shook his hand and glanced at Sam with a small smile on her face, and he knew he would have to ask her about that later. She grinned down at the boys, "They've been perfect angels. We were just about to make lunch, but they had a short morning nap, cause Gabe brought them by earlier than he usually does."

"Yeah, he's going to pick up his wife from the airport. My niece went with him, I think her and Kali are doing some girly thing today."

"Kali is just gorgeous, I feel like a country bumpkin net to her!"

"Same. However," Lucifer held up a mishcievous finger, "You wouldn't say that when she has a few drinks in her. That woman can turn into a hot mess in a second. I'll have to bring over their wedding video."

Sam had never seen Jo this animated, "Oh my God! Yes, do it! Gabe has been dangling that carrot for years!"

Lucifer cackled, "Will do, definitely. You'll see a whole other side to those two." He looked down as he felt a tugging on the hem of his shirt, "What's up, buddy?"

Raphael scowled up at him, his small face super serious and his big brown eyes large, "'m hungry."

Sam hunkered down to his eye level, "I know bud, me too. You guys wanna come see where I work? They've got burgers and fries." Sam darted a look up at Lucifer and grinned, "And I think I can con Uncle Luci to let you both have a milkshake."

Raph's face melted into one of pure wonder, and Uriel popped his head from behind Lucifer's other leg, "Chocolate?"

"Sure."

"With whip?"

"Of course." The twins looked at each other to confer in their creepy twin telepathy, Raph's face all animated as he conveyed his case with his brother. Uriel gave no hint at to what he was thinking, until he zeroed his eyes on the tall brunette, "Cherries. On top."

"Well it wouldn't be a proper milkshake otherwise don't you think?"

"K."

With that settled, the boys toddled off to get their shoes while Lucifer slowly shook his head at Sam, "You total pushover." Sam shrugged, "What, like you never wanted a milkshake at three."

"Well yeah, but you fail to realize that we will be the ones that are watching two toddlers cracked out on sugar for the rest of the afternoon."

"Two words: sugar crash. We go get food, they get cracked out, we take them to the park and them boom. Naptime." Sam was pretty proud of his plan, and the blonde could do nothing but roll his eyes at his taller companion. The boys were finished getting ready, hauling the two men to the door with all the strength their little arms could muster. Lucifer gave Raph a bit of a fight by slowly moving his feet, laughing at the exaggerated grunting the toddler made. "I love that little fantasy world your mind lives in, I'll have to visit there sometime."

"Make sure you have a safe word," Sam winked at the bemused blonde, "There's nothing but whips and chains in there." Sam would let Lucifer in his fantasy world any time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments feed the beast, mrow!


	7. Raise Your Glass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its party time! Some secrets revealed, moves are made, and much alcohol is consumed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for sticking with this, I truly apologize for the very late update. Between the kids getting sick and my grandfather being put in hospice its been a very stressful few weeks. Hopefully things settle down and I will be able to update more frequently. Without any further ado, here is the latest chapter.

"That was not very nice, Dean."

Castiel's quiet admonishment stopped Dean's laughter in a second, "What? I was just joking around."

The brunette's lips pursed as he squinted at his lover in annoyance, "'Joking around' would infer that everyone was laughing. You were the only one."

Dean rolled his eyes and set his dish in the sink, then leaned his hip on it with his arms folded, "Its just what big brothers do, Cas. You can't tell me that any of your older brothers didn't do the same to you."

Castiel copied his stance across the small kitchen and hooked his foot over his ankle, "They did, but this was different."

Dean snorted, "Different, how? The only way this would have been different is if-" 

Light bulb. 

"Are you going to finish your thought?"

Dean's lips thinned, "Tell me our brothers aren't into each other."

Silence.

"Cas! When were you going to tell me?!" Dean's hands smacked the counter in irritation. Like seriously, was this thing between him and Cas contagious or what? For all he knew, his brother was completely straight. Never mind the thoughts he had of his brother being into-shudder- Gabe of all people. Not that he had a problem with his brother being into guys, cause pot/kettle, but still.

"I honestly thought you knew," Castiel shrugged, "After Lu left abruptly last night, Sam went after him. I mean they were pretty attentive with each other the whole night."

Dean exhaled through his nose and looked away, "This is-"

"Natural?"

"Not the word I would use."

"Refreshing?"

"In what way would this be refreshing?"

And now Castiel was getting irritated with him, great. "I don't know, Dean. Maybe its refreshing to see my brother somewhat happy and not wallowing in grief? Or refreshing to see your brother going after someone who isn't out to utterly destroy him, like Ruby almost accomplished? Or that they seem to mesh very well together and its nice to see them happy and at ease. Pick one."

Dean rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, "Look I'm sorry, okay? I'm just very protective of Sam. I don't want what happened before to happen again. It was more than awful."

He didn't look up until Castiel pressed against him and brushed his fingers down his cheek, "I know, Dean. I was there."

He hated how his eyes watered, "I just don't think I can see him like that again if everything goes south. I really don't think I can take it."

"If it does," the brunette gentled the taller man when he tried to protest, "If it does, you won't go through it alone. I'll be there, I'll always be there."

Dean rested his forehead against his boyfriend's, stating softly, "If something bad happens between them, you'll need to be there for your brother."

Castiel gently shook his head, "Gabe will be there. Or we'll trade off. Either way, it doesn't matter right now. Nothing has happened."

"Yet."

"Yet," Castiel agreed. "There isn't any sense to worry about something that might not come to pass. I know you are worried, and love Sam, but he's a grown up Dean. He's not a child anymore. He can make his own decisions."

"And his decisions have been just stellar so far."

Castiel tipped his head up with his thumbs to catch his eyes, "Now listen. You can't keep throwing Sam's past wrongs into his face, that's the best way to push him away. He's not a dog that you can rub his nose in his mistakes. Lest not that ye be judged."

Dean mock glared at the brunette, "Don't quote the bible at me, it weirds me out." He drew his arms around Cas's waist, "I get it. I do, really. Maybe it just freaks me out that its our brothers. Or that your's is so much older than mine."

"He's only seven years older than him."

"He's older than me." Dean leveled a look at the shorter male. "Its like a weird daddy issue."

Castiel's eyebrows shot up, "You of all people are bringing up daddy issues? Interesting." 

* * *

To say that Gabriel was a bit nervous about the party that evening was a bit of an understatement. His hands shook as he put his phone back in his pocket, Sam's last message rolling through his mind like a thundercloud. His eyes flicked up and caught his beloved's from across the terminal.

She was utterly gorgeous.

Her mahogany hair fell in soft finger-waves about her face, and tossed gently about as she shook her head slowly from side to side, she didn't believe he was going to be on time. Her ruby lips glimmered in the sunlight that poured from the large windows beside him, and Gabe's breath was taken away as she smiled, her straight teeth bright white amidst her dark complexion. 

She was dressed simply in a loose long sleeved crimson shirt and black pants, shockingly without heels this time, but in plain black flats. As she drew closer, shrugging off her carry-on to give him a lingering hug, he could see just how weary she was. His brows drew together in a frown over her shoulder, what exactly was wrong? 

He fought against his very nature to figure out what she was hiding from him. 

His features cleared as she let him go to give Claire a warm hug, moving to pick up her bag and face the two very important women in his life, "So gorgeous, where would you like to eat?"

She smiled at him wanly, "I don't mind. I'm just going to get something light anyway."

Claire asked the questions that were burning through his mind, "Are you sick? Would you rather us just bring you home? We don't have to do anything if you're not feeling up for it."

She smoothed a golden curl behind Claire's small ear, "I'm just not up for anything heavy to eat right now. Between the turbulence and the past few days my stomach just isn't as steely as I hoped."

Gabe drew an arm around her waist to lead them back to the car, "Just tell us if today ends up being to much for you, okay? I have no problem cutting our city trip short."

Kali chuckled, "I'm sure you won't, my love. How are the boys?"

"They're good, Sam and Luci are going to get them from Jo's and taking them to lunch."

"May the Gods aid them in their venture."

Gabe burst out laughing, "I know right? They have no idea. Like the time Raph tried to flush all the- you know, that's not important."

Kali stopped suddenly and Gabe tripped, "He tried to flush what now?"

Gabe made a face, "He tried to flush all of the oranges in that little bowl you put in the hallway." At her disgusted face he chuckled, "Aw come on, babe. He was so proud of himself you should have seen his little face." 

"He certainly takes after his daddy that's for sure," Claire piped in.

They slowly wended their way through the airport and then through the parking lot. Claire jumped into the backseat, chattering away about her vocal lessons with Lucifer that Gabriel was only half listening. Only as he went around the corner of the vehicle to put his wife's luggage in the trunk did he catch out of the corner of his eye, this golden glow emanating from where she stood beside the passenger side door. He gasped lowly, a chill running down his spine as he tossed in the bag and shut the hatch. She smiled softly as he came back around to open the door for her, "Are you okay, my love? You look pale."

The glow didn't go away, it just seemed to sparkle around her and that made him dread all the more what was making her ill this entire time, "I'm okay, baby. Promise." He cupped his hands around her jaw and drew her into a long, lingering kiss. 

When he pulled back she searched his face warily, "What happened, Gabriel? You only kiss me like that when you've done something wrong."

_Forgive me, Father._

* * *

"Raph, please sit down." Sam tugged down on the toddlers shirt to emphasize his request, which was promptly ignored. The little boy was far to busy standing on the seat of the both they occupied, spying on an elderly couple one booth away. He heard a soft snort across the table and eyed the older man, "He looked so tired when we went to pick him up, and now.."

Lucifer grinned, "Now I got the tired one." They both glanced down at the other twin who was curled tightly to the blonde's side, sucking on his thumb and fast asleep. 

"We should wake him, its going to screw up the whole plan."

At that, Lucifer outright laughed, "One thing you'll end up learning as a parent, there isn't even a hint to a plan. We'll be lucky if one of them eats."

"How can you not want to eat though? Food is good, its great even- please would you sit down, Raph?"

"Hi!" the little boy chirped. The older woman smiled at him, only to frown as Sam turned his head. The young man smiled apologetically at the woman and turned the boy around to sit next to him, not missing the woman heatedly speaking to her husband. 

He looked up to see the older blonde blatantly staring over Sam's shoulder, an unreadable expression on his face. Sam glanced back to see the old man gesture for the check and the woman furtively looking away. Sam just rolled his eyes and said softly, "Its what I hate about small towns."

Lucifer cocked an eyebrow, still staring the elderly couple down, "'S what I hate about humans in general, Sam. This is why I don't leave my house much."

Sam leaned back in his seat, helping Raphael get the crayons out of the little box that his menu came with, "You know, I never understood that, but I guess I can see why now. I mean its not like-"

"They think we are a homosexual couple with twin adopted biracial boys, it doesn't matter what the real truth is, nor would they care anyway." The blonde looked down at the menu and muttered, "It doesn't matter where you are, the assumptions will still be the same. Not that I mind what they think really, but the kids don't deserve to be treated any differently." 

Sam nodded, not bothering to look at the menu, "You're right its just-"

"You don't like making people feel uncomfortable, no matter that its not your fault, or any of their business what's really going on. Its the giver in you."

Sam frowned, "You don't really know anything about me."

Lucifer set the menu down and leveled at look at him, his eyes boring into Sam's and making the younger man shift uncomfortably, "You are a younger brother who had been protected all your life by your big brother who shaped who you are and how you react to others. You are supremely intelligent, enough that it made you mature beyond your years, not to mention-" He moved his eyes, searching for something in Sam's returned gaze, "Having to grow up for more reasons than that. You looked up to your brother, didn't have many friends, and so now you try to please other people- including your brother- no matter how much it irritates or kills you to do it. Because you don't know what you would do if the only person who's ever truly loved you stopped because of something you did."

Sam frowned, unease rolling in his gut, "How do you know that?"

Lucifer shrugged and broke the heated eye contact, "I don't know, I just do. Its a thing I have, I guess. Gabe always said it was because my mother was a witch." At Sam's snort, Lucifer gave him a look, "I'm serious. She was, until she died."

"Well, Lucifer Schurley. I was wondering when you were going to come and visit."

Both men looked up to see an older woman with long brown hair, wearing a 'Roadhouse Bar and Grill' t shirt and jeans, with a small pad of paper and pencil in hand. Sam smiled slightly, even though it had only been a day, he had missed seeing Ellen. There was something about her that made a small hitch in his chest, "Hey Ellen."

"Hey honey," she grinned at him, "Just can't stay away, can you?"

Sam shrugged and smiled at her, "Guess not. You're still good on people tonight, right?"

"Oh yeah, I'm not making you miss Cas' party. Besides, you've been burning the midnight oil for a very long time now, you deserve a few nights off." She turned her attention to Lucifer and clicked her pen, "So, how long have you been home?"

"Only two weeks. Its taken a bit to settle in."

"I'll bet. Did you buy the old Hampton house by the lake?"

Lucifer nodded while adjusting the sleeping child next to him, "I did, a few years ago, but didn't do much with it until now. About a few acres around it too, came with the house anyway."

"Did it still have that seventies shag carpet?" She winked.

Lucifer barked out a laugh, "Oh hell no. I took the wallpaper down in the bathroom too and put up tiles."

"Aww, you took down the groovy dandelions?"

_Dandelions?_

"Well I woke up one night cause I had to piss and it looked like the walls were breathing so i had to do something about that."

"You're right, that bathroom always skeeved me out. But that **tub** though."

Lucifer hummed, "Oh I know. Its bigger than me and so **deep**."

Sam coughed, groaning inwardly at the seemingly innocent double entendre. He looked up and caught the blonde biting the corner of his bottom lip, fighting a shit-eating grin.

"Okay boys," Ellen chuckled, "What'll it be?"

They ordered for the kids and then themselves, Lucifer opting for the burger while Sam went for the salad. Sam gave the menus back to her and she told them she'll be back with their drinks.The brunette watched her go to check up on the elderly couple, accidentally catching the eye of the husband who eyed him back disapprovingly before turning his attention to Sam's boss. 

He colored as he caught the blonde staring at him as he turned back, "What?"

"Are you a vegetarian?"  
"Not really," Sam shrugged, "I just try to eat healthy when I can. Growing up it was eat whatever you can find. Its why Dean can't stand Hamburger Helper."

The older blonde nodded, "I understand. I tried to go vegetarian a while back and couldn't do it after a few weeks. I guess I just like meat better."

Sam almost choked again while Lucifer just grinned and winked at him. Sam had no idea what the hell was going on, was the other man flirting with him or screwing around like he and Gabriel did? It was so confusing, he had no idea what to think but his body was sure on board with whatever it was Lucifer was putting out. _Ugh, don't think about him 'putting out'._ He was so screwed, what made him think this was a good idea.

No matter the turmoil that was going on inside Sam's head, they spent a pleasant time chatting until Uriel woke once their food got to their table. He blinked blearily around, one side of his face pinker than usual where he leaned against his uncle's warm side, fabric creases denting his soft skin. Lucifer rubbed his back and tried to entice him with his food only to get barked at for his trouble. 

"Well fine then, cranky-pants," Lucifer grumbled back, "want some water?"

The little boy nodded and soon both boys were enthralled by their food, leaving the adults to eat in peace. Ellen came by to check on them a few times before finally bringing them their bill.

"So when are you going to come by for our Open Mic Night? You need to teach these kids a thing or two."

Sam stared at Lucifer in surprise as the older man slid the check closer to himself and pulled a card out from his wallet. He didn't know how to feel about the other man paying his way without question or thought. Lucifer chuckled a little in embarrassment at Ellen, "I don't know about that, Ell. Its been a really long time since I've been on stage."

She took his card and their bill, then shrugged casually, "Oh I don't know, Lu. Get the band back together for a little fun, a few drinks, it'll be like old hat in no time."

"You were in a band?"

"Oh yeah," Ellen answered before Lucifer could interject, who seemed very uncomfortable, "They were pretty big around here, til someone here decided to settle down in Delaware of all places."

"Maybe I just felt that my time in the spotlight was done. I had great incentive."

Ellen nodded, sobering at the thought of what Sam assumed was the memory of his dead wife, "I'm sure she would still want you to do what you obviously love. Think about it, okay?"

The blonde nodded and with difficulty swallowed, "I will. Its a deal."

* * *

After their lunch, Gabriel and Kali took Claire out to find her father a present he would enjoy. It didn't take long, the man was supremely easy to shop for, and Gabriel was too worried about Kali feeling as ill as she did. By the time they left the third store, Gabriel was about to just call it a day, Kali had started to look very drawn and pale. Though she protested profusely, both Claire and Gabriel ushered her into the car and made their way home. He unloaded the car while Claire helped her aunt out of the car and into their modest white Victorian situated perfectly between a yellow Colonial and a brick Tudor. He paused as he closed the hatch and took a deep breath, taking in the perfect house, the perfect car, the perfect life he was threatened to lose. 

He let himself sink deep into his false memories; of presenting the new house to his bride and how she uncharacteristically jumped into his arms with joy, their silly paint fights for the twins' nursery, planting the flowers in their garden, making love all night long, and cuddling in the early morning hours- a million and one fake memories to cherish when everything eventually gets ripped away. Then what would he be left with? Would Kali and him be estranged once more? The twins he loved more than anything would be gone, and replaced with brothers in arms that would just as soon kill him as look at him. Would he be gone? He had no idea how or why he was brought back, it was all part of the billions of mysteries that surrounded his father and his plans that he would never begin to solve unless he spoke with him. 

Fat chance that was.

Only Lucifer and the Winchesters were deigned the honor of his presence but then again they were the major players in a game whose rules went out the window as soon as those boys were old enough to get involved. The Messenger wasn't really surprised. He wasn't allowed to be, his only job was to stand back and wait for a sign. He was supposed to warn them, tell them to not 'scratch the wall'. He would do all he could but any monkey could tell it was a recipe for disaster, those Winchester boys didn't know when to leave well enough alone.

Self-sacrificing morons.

Gabriel hoped his brothers would be enough of a distraction for the boys, but it looked like both his father's and John's A+ parenting shot that notion right in the foot. He prayed to whoever was listening to get some kind of reprieve, that all was not going to end up hellfire and damnation. He rolled his eyes, like anyone was really listening anyway.  
He shouldered the bags and trudged up their warm, red brick walkway and stomped down the urge to swat at the cheerful yellow buttercups bobbing 'hello' in the light breeze.

It wasn't their fault their creator was a douche.

He shivered as he heard a rumble of thunder in the distance, then chuckled. There was no one upstairs to listen to his blasphemous musings, that he knew without a doubt. There was a storm erupting a few towns over, and was supposed to reach them in just a few hours, but Gabriel was going to make sure it missed their party. Nothing was going to spoil Cassie's fake birthday. 

If only so he could watch little Samsquatch and Luci dance around each other, knowing all the while that if they only knew the truth, they would both be going for the brain bleach.

Although.

Far be it for Gabriel to assume anything about his older brother. Even though he abhorred humans, he harbored some strange fascination with the youngest Winchester. Not that the Messenger could blame him, really. That body, that hair, and not to mention that sweet soul altogether; tainted as it may be. 

He loved Kali with every gossamer fiber of his true form but there was something about little Sammy Winchester that called to him. The human was like angel catnip.  
His phone dinged as soon as he got into the house and he snickered, _Speaking of the little minx_.

He dropped the bags in the entryway and dug out his phone to find a message from not only Sam but his brother Castiel as well. 

`Cassandra- When will we be drinking?`

Gabriel laughed outright`-as soon as das kinder is away, why? You just now realizing you're closer to forty?`

`Cassandra- Forty is just a number, Gabriel. No, Dean is just trying my patience today and I would greatly enjoy the buffer of alcohol.`

`- trouble in paradise , little bro? Do I need to get the shovel out?`

`Cassandra- No. Sam and Lu came over for a few minutes and now Dean believes they are getting too close and won't let it go. I have tried talking and distracting him, but every five minutes something just sets him off again.`

`-Hmm, I feel that some spanking is in order.`

`Cassandra: The thought had crossed my mind, yes. `

`-You can make him call you daddy.`

`Cassandra: .....`

Gabriel didn't know if he was honestly considering his suggestion or choosing not to answer. Castiel was funny like that. He was really going to miss this version of his brother, it was still Cas but...just a little different. Letting the conversation die where it left off he cycled back to his inbox.

`Sammy: How's Kali?`

Gabriel moved their purchases onto the dining room table, hopefully Claire would be amused enough to offer help, though he doubted it. He sat down and kicked his feet out, replying swiftly to his text.

`-She's not feeling too well, really. I don't really think she's going to make the party. `

`Sammy: Oh that's disappointing. I was looking forward to hear about her conference. Is there anything we can do? Soup or something? We're at work having lunch.`

Gabriel made an interested noise in the back of his throat while straightening `-oh yeah? Lunch date already? Beware of that, first road to the friend-zone.`

`Sammy: I don't even know what you're talking about.`

`-Don't you though?`

`Sammy: I don't know what it is you are implying but your son is doing the walrus face.`

`-Raph?` Gabriel snorted when just a few seconds later a picture popped up on his screen of Raphael grinning at him with two fries sticking out of his mouth like they were tusks. 

`Sammy: I tried getting a picture of Uriel but he's being grouchy. He yelled at me. He even pointed his finger at me.`

`-He doesn't like his picture taken until he does.` Gabe caught movement out of the corner of his eye and looked up to see his wife, wrapped up in more comfortable clothing leaning against the door frame. 

"I need to talk to you," Kali stated quietly. 

* * * 

In just a few hours, the party was in full swing; the drinks were flowing, the meat was cooking, Claire was trying to sneak a Zima to no avail. The boys were running pell mell around the yard, the little bubble machine and play foam swords were a stroke of genius on Gabe's part. The porch was illuminated once again by the softly glowing string of lights, highlighting the red roses and lilies surrounding the patio area. The placid lakewater sparkled merrily with the beautiful pinks, purples, and oranges that set the sky ablaze with their spectacular sunset. All of the adults were gathered around the table, trading stories and drinking their beverages while watching the little ones play. 

"Thank you Lucifer for all of this," Castiel says sincerely, "I did not expect anything like this at all."

Lucifer flapped a hand at him, "Its nothing. Not every day your little brother has a birthday that you're actually there to see. And besides, I barely did anything. It was all these two." The blonde made a gesture at both Sam and Gabriel.

"I was the driver/gopher and Sam was muscles. Speaking of," Gabe waggled dirty eyebrows at the young brunette who promptly flipped him off. Gabe laughed and took a swig of his bottle then shrugged, "Dean was the distraction."

"And boy, **what** a distraction he turned out to be," Lucifer snickered as he got up to check on the food.

"Let's not-" 

"'Oh god, yes! Fuck me Cas! That's it! Right there baby, right there! Oh god, yes you're making me c-'" Lucifer mimicked in the oddest impersonation of Dean that Sam had ever heard. He wasn't sure if he should be aroused or disgusted. 

"Ew," Claire groaned and wrinkled her nose as Gabe shot his watermelon Zima everywhere, "I don't think I need to hear this."

"How do you think you came to be on this glorious Earth?" Lucifer asked while gesturing serenely with the tongs. Meanwhile Sam pounded on his best friends back, Dean turned bright red and hid his face his hands, shaking his head slowly in horror while Cas just drank serenely observing everything, and glaring at Lucifer over his bottle. Lucifer pointed the tongs at her, "You're daddy got down."

Claire glared at her once most favorite uncle, "I don't need the mental image, thanks. Where's the brain bleach?"

"Hey, you're sitting with the big boys right now, sweetheart. There's going to be some PG-13, R and maybe X-rated talk going on."

"That I can handle," Claire pouted, "Its that talk coming from old guys that's gross."

"Old?" Lucifer choked in mock outrage, "Old, she says! Just for that, you get cold chicken. I might even drop it on the ground first."

"Mmm, floor spice makes everything nice."

"Nobody is eating food off the ground," Castiel intoned, "we don't need to give the boys any ideas."

Soon the food was done, and they settled down to eat. Copious amounts of meat was devoured along with chips and soon the cupcakes. Although the boys consumed a milkshake and cupcakes, their big day full of activity and people knocked them out. They let them nap for a time in the living room, leaving a movie on low volume for them so they didn't wake up in silence. 

While Gabe packed up the food and Lucifer started the music, Sam leaned over to Dean to whisper excitedly, "Dude, he knows the lead singer of Perdition." A huge grin broke out at the sight of Dean's eyebrows going up in surprise.

Suddenly Dean's brows furrowed and he opened his mouth but was silenced by an unseen kick under the table. He darted a look over at Cas in objection before he caught the slight shake of his lover's head before he took a swig of his drink to cover. Dean looked back over at Sam and pasted on what he hoped looked like an encouraging expression, 

"Oh really? That's..that's great man. Huh, small world right?"

Sam nodded, still beaming, "Yeah he said that we could call him later, isn't that **insane**? Like, I finally get to talk to a dude I've been listening to all of my formative teenage years." He looked up and noticed Lucifer struggling with adjusting one of the large speakers they brought out earlier today. "Hey, I'm going to go help him with that, but dude, **awesome day** , right?"

Dean nodded, "Totally." He watched him go, observed the awkward dance of 'let me help' and 'no its cool, I got this but I'll just stand back and watch you cause you're so cute and helpful' dance they had going on currently before turning to Cas and hissing, "Were you here for all of that? What the hell, Cas?"

Cas gave him the side eye with the bottle perched at his lips, before taking a sip and shrugging, "Yeah? I'm not saying its the most original way to pick someone up but I think he knows what he's doing."

"Oh I'm **sure** he knows what he's doing," Dean mocked while nodding, "He sure as hell knows what he's doing. Lying to him. Being deceitful. Like Sam is going to fall for that."

Cas cocked an eyebrow and nodded over to the two men, "Looks like." 

Dean almost snapped his neck with how fast his head turned to see Lucifer and Sam standing really close, talking about something the other man couldn't really make out because he wasn't that great at reading lips. Whatever it was it must have been funny, because Sam threw his head back in his stupid Simba!laugh and Lucifer looked at him with eyes dancing merrily in the low light. They were standing too close. 

"I can see what's happening," Gabe sighed as he sat down beside his brother, snagging a bottle of beer.

"What?"

"And they don't have a clue," Cas shook his head. 

"Who?" 

"They'll fall in love and here's the bottom line," Gabriel smacked his hand down on the table, "Our trio's down to two."

"Oh," Dean rolled his eyes and snorted, "I can't believe I got sucked into an Elton John song."

Castiel's rumbling chuckle reverberated through his chest, "Technically its Timon and Pumbaa. But you're right, Gabriel. Our Nala found his Simba."

Sam and Lucifer approached the table as Dean shuddered while Gabriel threw his head back and cackled, "Okay so what did we miss?"

"Nothing Sam," Castiel waved, "Gabriel and I engaged in some spoken song lyrics while Dean is trying not to regurgitate his food."

"Oh nice," Lucifer said while taking his seat, "What song was it?"

"Oh I don't know," Gabriel set his bottle down on the table as he said sarcastically, "I'm sure you can 'feel the love tonight'."

Lucifer grinned as what Gabriel implied went straight over his carefully spiked head and leaned on Castiel, "Of course, cause it's a special birthday for our special Cassie."

The brunettes deadpan expression didn't change as he shoved his brother away, "Like 'stop-eating-the-paste' special?"

Dean's face scrunched, "Ugh, not Gilmore Girls again."

"Again?"

"Yeah," Dean grinned at his lover who rolled his eyes and smiled back, "He insisted on watching it before we got here. All day."

Lucifer hummed, "Not all day."

"True," Castiel nodded while Dean drained the rest of his beer, his face beet red in embarrassment, "We did fornicate. It was fantastic, you should try it sometime Lucifer."

The resulting spit take sprayed all over Gabriel's face, who wiped it off grumbling while Cas and Dean celebrated their revenge. Sam pounded on the blonde's back while he tried not to cough up a lung. Lucifer waved Sam off, "Sometimes you surprise me, Cassie. I guess I'm glad you had fantastic fornication?"

"Can we please stop saying fornication?"

Gabriel shook his head and got up to get everyone another round, while Lucifer checked his phone. He let out a happy noise and straightened up, "Oh fantastic! They unlocked the High Valyerian language on Duolingo. My life is complete."

Dean perked up, "You watch Game of Thrones?"

The blonde leveled a look at the older Winchester, "Do I watch Game of Thrones? Baby I **live** Game of Thrones. Read it when I was a kid and was hooked."

"I never got to read them," Dean shrugged, "We moved around a lot so we couldn't really tote around a lot of stuff."

"And you would never see him in a library," Sam supplied, "He was either in class or out working."

Lucifer nodded in understanding, "I have the whole series if you want to read it. There's a lot that they either cut out or condensed in the show. I mean, the show's magnificent, but the books are pretty great."

"Yeah I might take you up on that," Dean nodded, "Charlie has been hounding me about reading it cause I kept asking questions."

"Too bad they don't have Dothraki on there," Gabe said while setting down the drinks for everybody, not realizing his older brother froze, "That would really help out our campaign with Benny and Charlie."

"Campaign?" Sam asked in surprised interest.

"How do you know Charlie?"

Gabe straightened as he darted a look over at Lucifer who stared at him in horror, his icy eyes wide, "Um...we uh, run a game? With Charlie and Benny. Jo isn't all that into it but I think we can make her a cleric."

"Oh my god!" Dean crowed and snorted, "Are you saying what I think you're saying-"

"Gabe."

"Well, I mean," Gabe rubbed the back of his neck, darting looks at Lucifer's steadily reddening face and Sam pleased surprise, "We started it a long time ago, but Cas was too little and-"

"Gabriel."

"-and Michael was already gone and-"

"Gabriel you have three seconds before I come at you-"

"-and then he moved so we had to do it online-"

"Online? I didn't know you could do that online-"

"One-"

"Of course you can do it online Dean, there is a website called d20-"

"-and that's how we met up with Charlie-"

"Gabe, I would stop talking dude. You're digging you're grave-"

"Two-"

"-and she introduced us to Benny and he's a fantastic barbarian to my bard and Charlie's rogue-"

"Three!" Lucifer launched himself out of his chair as Gabriel jumped the railing of the porch, sprinting to the tree line with his brother hot on his heels. Dean pounded on the table, unable to take a breath he was laughing so hard. "Its not that funny, Dean," Cas shook his head and patted his boyfriend's back.

"Oh I think it is, Cas, I really do," Dean breathed out through his giggles, "You're brother is a huge dork! Just like Sammy!"

Sam frowned and watched Lucifer chase his younger brother around the yard to the accompaniment of 'I didn't **mean** to, Luci!' and 'you're dead, shortie!'. His hazel eyes studied the two as they neared the dock of the lake and mumbled, "I'm not a dork."

"Harry Potter."

"So? Lots of people like Harry Potter," Sam supplied quietly, idly worried about the two semi? all the way? drunk men circling each other murmuring what he assumed were threats.

"Lord of the Rings."

"Dude you liked that movie too." 

"Yeah but I didn't **cry** during the movies."

"If you read the books, it was pretty emotional. And you did, you're just too macho to admit it." Sam rolled his eyes as the two brothers wrestled each other, getting closer and closer to the edge of the dock, "Should we stop them?"

Cas glanced over at the men, watching as Lucifer attempted to toss Gabriel in the water and failing, "They should lose interest soon enough. Or one of them will get dunked. Either way I don't feel like getting lake water all over me tonight."

There was a splash, and Gabriel hurriedly marched triumphantly back to the porch. Sitting down royally, he took a drink of his beer and chirped, "What'd I miss?"

"Dean accused Sam of being a dork, and Sam denied it."

Gabriel made a face, "Oh you are **such** a dork."

However, Sam didn't hear him. He really couldn't hear anything besides the blood pounding in his ears. For like the Momoa version of Aquaman, Lucifer emerged from the lake completely drenched. His ripped jeans clung to his powerful legs, riding dangerously low on his trim hips. His light grey shirt was rendered completely translucent, sticking to his torso like a second skin, highlighting his cut abdominals and pecs. All noise died as the blonde shook the excess water from his hair, the lake water glittering in the light of the setting sun behind him. 

"Sam.... _Sam_!"

He startled and looked over at his highly amused brother, "What?"

Dean's eyes darted over to the approaching blonde, "You okay there?"

Sam glared at him and shifted in his seat, "Yeah. I'm fine."

Dean chuckled out an 'okay' and settled back as Lucifer stopped behind the oblivious Gabriel and whipped off his shirt. Apparently the gods wanted Sam to die of sexual frustration tonight, and boy were they accomplishing that feat. He chugged his beer to deaden his nerves, he really didn't care if he got black out drunk tonight, cause temptation? That was Lucifer. And Sam could only take so much.

Lucifer smiled sweetly at his younger brother before wringing out his soaking wet shirt right over his brother head. And indignant squawk ensued, followed by a serious attempt at swatting his brother, which accomplished nothing as the blonde danced away cackling. He flipped the younger man off good naturedly as he sidled through the glass door to go change. Gabriel wiped what he could off his face and clothes, slicking back his dark blonde hair while all the while grumbling to himself. 

While Cas and Dean murmured to each other, most likely planning how the rest of their night off would go, Gabriel looked up and locked eyes with Sam's sexually frustrated mournful gaze. He glanced at the kitchen, then back at Sam and shrugged. Sam shook his head and looked away, feeling a nudge at his feet. He looked back over at his best friend, seeing him mouth the words 'make a move'. Sam grabbed another beer, twisting off the cap with his palm and took a healthy swig. He swallowed and shifted his shoulders in an indecisive gesture. 

He didn't understand why he was so drawn to his best friend's brother, and felt quite a bit of guilt for even feeling that way to begin with. Gabriel and he were close, and barring whatever Sam did to mess that up weeks ago, seemed to be getting back on solid ground. He didn't want to do anything to push his friend away, or mess up whatever close family unit they established after the debacle between Cas and Dean that rocked both families. That and he didn't know where Lucifer stood. He probably didn't bat for the same team, but Lord did Sam wish it. Maybe if he got drunk enough, brave enough, then Lucifer would hopefully just chalk it up to him being a handsey drunk and leave it at that. Preferably not with a fist in his face, Sam really didn't like getting punched. 

He scoffed at himself, like anyone liked getting punched in the face. 

All thoughts derailed as the sliding glass door opened and the object of his affection emerged. Dressed in a dark long sleeved shirt that looked incredibly soft and jeans he looked... _fine as hell._ He grinned over at Gabriel, "The boys are asleep. Claire is letting them sleep it off for a bit."

The other man nodded, "I hear they had a big day with their uncles." He winked at Sam while he colored and ducked his head down to his drink. "So how much sugar did you ply them with Satan?"

Lucifer made a face and sat down in a chair beside Sam, not where he was sitting before the tall brunette noticed, and shrugged, "Not much. Just a milkshake at lunch and whatever the hell they stuffed their faces with a little bit ago. With Kali back I didn't want to tempt fate and attract her rage on me. No thank you."

* * *

Gabe helped Claire pack the boys in and waved goodbye as she drove them back to his house to take care of them while Kali rested.  
He stayed watching her go long after her brake lights disappeared around the corner, til the sun set completely. He heard the garage door open then close, the voices from outside spiked then muted, then shuffling footsteps before silence. 

"Okay," his older brother's voice broke the peace of the garage softly, "something's up. You've been acting kinda weird this whole time, so spill."

And what was he supposed to say to that? Lucifer always knew when he was lying, but it wasn't as if he could tell him the truth, at least not all of it. He knew things were going to be coming to a head after tonight, and how could he look into his brother's eyes and lie to his face?

Gabe sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face, "I really don't think I should talk about this now."

"Is everything alright? Is Kali sicker than we thought?" When Gabe said nothing Lucifer gripped his arms and turned Gabe to face him, "Throw me a line here, buddy."

Gabe felt his lower lip tremble and it was really all it took for Lucifer to pull him into a crushing hold. Gabe could only shake and try to keep the sobbing in, he was really trying to be stronger than he felt. After a few minutes of rocking and the blonde humming, Gabe finally spoke, "Kali's pregnant." Lucifer froze and Gabe's breathing hitched, "I-I don't know how it happened, and I don't kn-know what to do. I'm fucking scared here, man."

Lucifer took a deep breath and leaned his chin on the top of his little brother's head, "I know you are. There's really nothing I can say that will make this better. You know I'm here though."

"Yeah and for how long," Fuck, he didn't mean to say that. He sighed as Lucifer pulled back and looked at him hurt.

"And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Lucifer's eyes darted around Gabriel's face, "You think for one moment that I would just up and leave?"

"You did before. As soon as Castiel graduated. I really needed you, Luce."

The blonde looked away, "I'm not going to excuse bad decisions that I made in the past. But I'm here now Gabe, it took me a long time to get here, but I'm not going to just run away again."

_Yet._

It was almost as if he heard Gabe's thought because the blonde's shoulders slumped and he leaned against his workbench, "Look, I know you don't believe me. You really have no reason to, but dammit Gabe before everything went down and I lost them, I **begged** Sara to move back here." He looked down and sighed again. 

Gabe felt like shit for making the other man feel as guilty as he looked right now, so he rolled his eyes and punched him in the arm. The other man looked up at him and all Gabe could think was 'muppet face', "The hell is that for?"

"For being you, jackass." Gabe shrugged, "I'm not going to make you feel like shit for something you couldn't really help. I'm just feeling pretty lost here and like everything is going to fall apart. Just general sense of doom."

Lucifer cracked a smile, "Well that's me everyday, so join the club."

"Only if I get to be president."

"I'm the president, you can be the secretary."

"Do I have to wear a pencil skirt and glasses?"

"Well it wouldn't be authentic if you didn't."

They stood there in silence, before Lucifer took a deep breath and slid onto the workbench. Gabe quirked his lips, knowing full well what he was reaching for unsuccessfully. Instead of helping he just decided to just lean against his brother's car to watch the struggle. The garage door opened again and Gabe looked over to see his muscley bestie giving them a confused puppy face. Sam squinted at Lucifer struggling to find his stash before he rolled his eyes and loped over to help. Clearly the brunette had drank more than he realized, Gabe could see it in his loose gait as his sneakers ate up the concrete like Raph inhaled his cupcake. What he wasn't ready for was for Sam to lean well into Lucifer's space; bracing his large hand low on Lucifer's waist, and gave a little squeeze once he found was they were looking for while not hearing or completely ignoring the little squeak that erupted from the blonde. With a bright, perky smile Sam handed the dumbstruck other man the bag, "Here ya go."

_Well that's a move._

Lucifer blinked, "You just really enjoy being the tallest one in the room don't you?"

Sam cocked his head to the side, and grinned, "Is that how they say thank you where you're from?"

"Uhh-"

Sam turned on his heel and motioned at Gabe, "Cas said he was getting worried about you guys. I'll distract." 

Gabriel leveled a look at his older brother as he watched the brunette trot out with wide eyes, " **Dude**."

Lucifer blinked back at him, "What? I didn't do anything."

Gabe grinned as he bounced his eyebrows back at him, "I think Sammy like."

To his surprise his older brother blushed instead of doing literally anything else he would usually do, "Nah. He's just-"

"Kinda sauced and touchy feely? Probably. But that doesn't explain the body grab."

Lucifer rolled his eyes, "Yeah I'm sure he doesn't do that to just everybody. What was it you texted me about before I came back?"

Gabriel made a face, "Look he was pretty drunk then, not like how he is now. He's not-"

"He kissed you."

"And?"

"And what else is there? If that's how he's like when he's been drinking, we've been hanging out all day, and-"

"Aaaand nothing. I'm telling you Mr.I-don't-see-what's-right-in-front-of-me, that he's pretty kinda into you. In a big way."

His brother snorted and shook his head while lighting his joint, "There is nothing going on there-"

"Oh stop it with the 'he's not going to want me because I'm old as fuck and I probably cum dust at this point'."

Lucifer reared back and flipped him off, "Fuck you! I do not cum dust!"

"I totally walked in at the wrong moment."

The brothers looked over to see Castiel standing in the open doorway, the voices suspiciously silent on the other side. Lucifer blew the smoke out of his noise quickly in utter embarrassment while Gabe held onto the car behind him in desperation while he lost it laughing. Their little brother just cocked an eyebrow and moved closer, effectively closing the door behind him, "Are we moving the party in here or are you two going to join us back outside? Gabriel mentioned fire."

The aforementioned brother let out a very undignified dying sound as he tried to pull himself back together and Lucifer squinted at the short brunette, "Did you do that on purpose or have you forgotten how doors work?"

Castiel squinted back, "Why are there two of you? And why does Gabriel look like he's going to die?"

"That's second hand embarrassment. I can't believe they heard that." Lucifer took another last drag before snuffing it out and hopping off of the bench and staggered slightly. He lightly punched his other brother in the arm to get him moving, "Come on. We've been rude enough."

"Says you," Gabriel mumbled, "I was having a Moment."

* * *

Sam never spent much time out in the country, where ever they traveled when he and his brother were younger it was always in the city, it was never out in the country. Their father never had the money or the patience to take the boys camping. The young man vaguely remembered a time when they stayed with their Uncle Bobby, that he took the boys out, but a bonfire was not to be had then. 

So to say that the Schurley's didn't fuck around with fire was a massive understatement. 

"You think we have enough wood?" He could hear Gabriel quietly ask Lucifer, both of the men standing with their backs to the rest of the group and observing their pile they just put together. 

Lucifer crossed his arms in front of his chest, finger tapping idly at his bottom lip in thought, "Hmm, I think it looks good for now. I heard its supposed to get a little chilly here in a couple hours so we might need to build it a bit more."

"I don't think we'll have to worry too much about that," Gabriel confidently proclaimed while flapping a hand in the air. Was it just Sam or did the clouds move away just a little quicker than before?

The blonde shook his head, "Honestly it might be nice for it to get a bit chilly tonight. Don't want it to get to hot or dry and then we have a flash fire or something. Granted we have the lake if anything should happen, I just don't want to court disaster."

It was quiet for a beat and then Gabriel agreed, "I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right," Lucifer snorted, "I am older than you."

Gabriel snorted, "Yeah whatever, old man." He put his hands on his hips and looked around, "Got any kindling?"

"In the garage."

Sam stood up from the table and waved Gabriel off, "No sweat I'll get it." His best friend shrugged and turned back to observe the fire, while Lucifer paused and watched Sam. The brunette smiled back at him, belly warm at the look on the other man's face. Although he wasn't quite sure what those wintry depths were trying to convey but it didn't seem all that PG to him. 

Shaking his head to clear it, Sam shuffled into the garage, knowing right where to go since he and Lucifer moved so much stuff through the space just hours ago. He braced his hand on a shelf as he bent down to pick up some old newspapers the blonde stored against the wall before a brown jug caught his eye. He cocked his head, why did that jug look so familiar?

There was nothing special about it, it was medium-sized, brown in color, with a handle large enough that he was sure if he picked it up he'd be able to fit his whole hand around it without breaking it. The more he looked at it the more he-

_The shorter man stood angrily in a ring of fire, he knew he was incapacitated for the moment, but still he stood proud and defiant in front of the brothers as they questioned him, "You don't know anything about my family. I love my father, my brothers. Love them. But watching them turn on each other? Tear at each other's throats? I couldn't bear it! Okay? So I left. And now its happening all over again."_

_He could hear himself implore, "Then help us stop it."_

_"It can't be stopped," Gabriel spit angrily at him._

_"You wanna see the end of the world?" Dean asked._

_"I want it to be over," Holy anger and a millenia's worth of desperation poured forth from his honeyed eyes, "I have to sit back and watch my own brothers kill each other thanks to you two! Heaven, hell, I don't care who wins, I just want it to be over."_

_Sam could feel himself shake his head, they needed to get this right, they needed the archangel's help, "It doesn't have to be like that. There has to be some way to, to pull the plug."_

_The shorter man laughs derisively and shakes his head, "You do not know my family. What you guys call the apocalypse, I used to call Sunday dinner. That's why there's no stopping this, because this isn't about a war. Its about two brothers that loved each other and betrayed each other. You'd think you'd be able to relate."_

_"What are you talking about?"_

_Gabriel shook his head in amazement, "You sorry sons of bitches. Why do you two think you are the vessels?" At the sound of vessels, Sam could feel his stomach drop, "Think about it." He gestures to Dean, "Michael, the big brother, loyal to an absent father, and Lucifer," He gestures to Sam, who could feel the blood drain from his face, "the little brother, rebellious of Daddy's plan. You were born to this boys. Its your destiny! It was always you! As it is in Heaven, so must it be on earth. One brother has to kill the other."_

_"What the hell are you saying?" He could hear Dean breath out the answer, like he knew what the answer was going to be- hell, Sam knew too, though he didn't want to believe it._

_"Why do you think I've always taken such an interest in you?" He gazed back at them, imploring them to know, to understand, "Because the moment Dad flipped on the lights around here, we knew it was all gonna end with you. Always."_

_There was a long pause at what Gabriel had said had a chance to sink in. The brothers looked at the ground and then at each other. Sam didn't want to kill Dean, not his brother, not the one who had raised him and believed there was something to save this entire time, no matter what everyone else said. Dean looked back at the shorter man and stated firmly, "No. That is not going to happen."_

_"I'm sorry. But it is." Gabriel sighed, "Guys, I wish this were a tv show. Easy answers endings wrapped up in a bow...but this is real, and its gonna end bloody for all of us. That's just how its gotta be." ___

__Sam shook his head and sneezed, the hell was in all the dust in the garage? He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed them a little. He had no clue what that was, but either way it kind of freaked him out. The small hairs on his arm were standing at attention and goosebumps lined his skin. He heard the door open behind him and he turned to see Lucifer standing in the doorway, the lights shining behind him made a sort of halo around his head, and right then Sam questioned what the hell he had been drinking to think that way._ _

__"Everything okay in here, Sam?"_ _

__"Yeah," Sam chuckled, "I got the newspaper and got distracted is all."_ _

__He could feel the other man grin before he saw it, "Why don't you come out here and be distracted? I can guarantee there's more interesting things out here."_ _

__Sam groaned inwardly, if the man only knew..._ _

__The tall brunette paused as he got to the doorway, and looked over his shoulder at the seemingly innocent jug sitting on the shelf in plain view. he couldn't explain it, but he knew that what he experienced had to be something important. More than a hallucination, more than some weird ass trip. As he went to join the party, significantly more sober than he was before, the last words he heard the other Gabriel said echoed in his head._ _

**_...this is real, and its going to end bloody for all of us. That's just how its gotta be."_**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and concrit feeds my beast like no other.


	8. You've Got A Friend In Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Party part Deux as I was hella anxious to get the last chapter posted. The brothers all get up to some shenanigans, Sam gets a phone call, and a new/old friend comes a-calling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a herd of plot bunnies just rampage over me and had to get this chapter out, sorry if it seems super short. I figured with the long wait between 6 and 7 that I should just post what I have and keep updating where I can. I realize in my haste to post last time that I forgot the disclaimer. So: I don't own the SPN universe, for if I did 'twould be on ye old HBO and feature much peen. Anyways, hop you enjoy! (Chapter title derives from the song by Randy Newman)

Chapter 8  
The men spent an entertaining time lighting the bonfire and as soon as the wood caught fire, it was like a baccanal of drinking, smoking, and story telling. Honestly this was Sam's favorite time in any get together, everyone was so loose and happy. They moved their chairs closer to the fire since the night got chillier the longer they were outside. Gabriel kept shoting pensive looks to the sky, and Lucifer would tell him to stop worrying. Dean and Cas scooted real close together, using the brunette's trusty old trenchcoat to cover their legs. Sam smiled wistfully at the couple; Dean had his arm slung over his lover's shoulders, holding onto his beer bottle loosely while Cas used his shoulder as a pillow. Every now and then his brother would nuzzle the top of his head or his ear, laying a kiss on the windblown hair.

Gabriel stood near the fire, poking it randomly with a stick while Lucifer muttered for him to get closer, occasionally trying to kick his legs to get him to fall in. By then, Gabriel would whirl around and try to get his legs with the flaming stick. Sam just took it all in, feeding off the positive energy that flowed. It was incredibly nice to spend time with everyone and though he loved Emma, it was nice to do it without the kids around.

Grown up time is always fun time.

He looked up as he heard someone approach him to see Lucifer standing near, gently swaying back and forth to a tune only the blonde could hear as he watched Gabriel's antics with a smirk on his face. The blonde looked over, his icy eyes glazed over with a mix of weed and whatever alcohol he mixed with it to wash it down, "You want to give him a call now? Everyone's distracted."

Sam couldn't help the smile that stretched across his face in excitement, hoping fervently he wasn't doing a fair impression of the Joker, "Sure, yeah!"

The other man chuckled, and held out his hand, "Let me see your phone so I can program the number in there."

"You sure that won't freak him out?"

Lucifer snorted, "No because I can guarantee he's partying as well. One of his band members share the same birthday as Cassie."

"Oh, okay." The brunette slipped it out of his front pocket and handed it over easily, "I don't have a lock code or anything."

Eyebrows of Surprise rose to near his hairline, "And you live with your brother? Either you really trust him not to look at your phone or you made it so that he would never want to look at your phone again."

Sam cackled and said, "I usually bring up something either really disgusting or hard core porn if I ever have to leave it anywhere I don't trust."

Lucifer snorted while programming the number into Sam's phone, "I send that shit to Gabe and Cassie on a regular basis."

"I greatly enjoyed the shibari video," Cas rumbled on Sam's right.

"Don't tell me **he** sent that to you?" Dean gestured to Lucifer in horror, to which the blonde just blew him and air kiss. Dean sat back and shook his head in disgust, "You have a weird family."

"Then I won't tell you of the porn chicken fight we had going on for a week straight."

"Porn chicken fight?"

Castiel looked up as he felt everyone's gaze on him, all except for Sam's who was quietly laughing into his cherry flavored Zima. 

The brunette shrugged, "We send each other pornography videos ranging in extreme until the other person either can't find anything or quits. Like regular chicken only more adult."

Dean squinted at his boyfriend, "Is there something I should be worried about?"

Castiel frowned back at him, "I don't even see how that is a question. I haven't heard you complain about any of the things we've tried in the last few weeks."

"Still," Dean grumbled, "That's incredibly weird."

"Nothing compared to the shit we send each other." Gabe gestured at himself and his other two brothers, "I tell ya its a range of genuine interesting information and shit I would like to get out of my brain by pitchfork."

"You would seriously cause yourself bodily harm?"

Gabe leveled a serious look at Lucifer, "Wasn't you who just **had** to give me a lesson on STDs, complete with photos -mind you- at two in the morning?"

The blonde shrugged, "You asked me what I was googling. Not my fault."

"You said blue waffles! I assumed you were going to make fucking waffles in the morning!"

Lucifer slowly shook his head while the rest of the men were snorting their laughter into their beers, "Why would I make waffles for myself? That's a two person breakfast food."

"Why were you googling blue waffles in the first place? Some weird ass kink I don't know about?"

Lucifer rolled his eyes, "I was scrolling memes one night and saw it. Got curious, so of course I had to Google it to see why and then found out why I shouldn't have done that. Naturally, I had to share. Sharing is caring Gabriel Lewis Milton."

Gabriel squinted at him, "Did you seriously full name me, Lucifer Nicholas fucking Schurley?"

"Yeah? What are you gonna do about it?"

The shorter man raised the stick he was using to poke at the fire, realized the tip was on fire and started to slowly advance to his older brother, "I'm going to chase you with fire."

Lucifer reared back with wide eyes, "Well that escalated quickly."

"Always wanted to see if witches really are made of wood."

"Don't you chase me with that."

"Gabe, if you play with fire, you're gonna pee the bed."

"Shut up Sam, this has been preordained for a millenia."

"What that you're going to try and set your brother on fire?"

Lucifer held a hand out to stop the brunette from getting up, "Its okay Sam. I got this." He tossed the phone back to the taller man and picked up a stick of his own, "Bring it."

And what ensued would go down in Sam's memory as the stupidest, reckless, _hottest_ stick fights he ever had the misfortune of witnessing. Cas shook his head and leaned back in his seat, pulling Dean's arm around his shoulders, "This should be good. My money's on Lucifer."

"I don't know babe," Dean took a swig from his bottle, "Gabe's pretty scrappy."

"I vote they both fall in the fire and we spend the rest of the night in the hospital."

"Oh Samwise," Gabe chuckled, "That's not going to happen again. We learned the last time."

"Last time?"

"They are both fire bugs," Cas supplied, "They almost set fire to the roof once."

"No Cassie, that was Michael's bedroom. If you're going to tell stories, get 'em right."

Lucifer tapped his stick against Gabe's, "Be nice to Cassie."

The shorter man tilted his head to the side, "Or what? You gonna spank me?"

At the sound of Sam choking on his beer, Lucifer arched a brow, "Watch your tone, hobbit."

"Hobbit?! Them's fighting words, you Sith from hell!"

Lucifer threw his head back and roared with laughter, and Gabe took the opening to advance his attack. Lucifer deflected the blows easily, twisting out of the way when Gabriel thrust. He kicked dirt at his younger brother as he advanced again, darting forward to aim a hit at his side. Grabriel grunted and danced away. They circled each other once more, Gabe trying to break his older brother's stare by making faces, and Lucifer snickered but didn't break his eye contact. He faked an attack on the right while ducking, then sweeping Gabriel's legs out from under him, the shorter man falling on his back with an 'oof'.

"It's over Gabriel," Lucifer grinned and shrugged lazily, "I have the high ground."

Dean groaned at the Star Wars reference while Sam smiled and shook his head, could the man get any more attractive?

"You underestimate my power." Gabriel pouted from the ground.

"Don't try it," Lucifer said seriously before giving him a hand up, "You'll just hurt something."

Gabriel took his hand, then yanked him forward, "Hurt you more like!" The blonde grunted, then let all his weight fall onto his younger brother, making sure every sharp elbow and knee dug in all the soft spaces. They tussled for a bit, getting more dirt, ash and bits of nature in their hair and clothes before Lucifer just flopped down bonelessly on the smaller man beneath him. Gabriel squirmed under him, howling in outrage while the older man giggled- **giggled** \- in evil glee. The shorter man pushed him off and huffed, "God, you **need** to go to the gym, you fat fuck."

Lucifer just shimmied his shoulders into the ground, not caring about getting dirty as he stretched languidly, "I work out plenty, you peasant. Not my fault you got soft."

"Tell that to my spleen."

If Sam gripped his bottle any tighter it was going to shatter. He thought watching the fight was torture; but to see the other man stetching like that, with his shirt riding up, he didn't know how much he was going to be forced to endure.

He shuddered and crossed his arms, only now just realizing he's been wearing Lucifer's hoodie the entire day. Fuck, he didn't bring a jacket with him. 

"What's up?" 

Sam looked up and smiled in thanks as Lucifer handed him a bottle. He didn't even see the other man moved and wasn't sure if it was because of all he drank or how long he was spaced out, "Nothing much. I uh, didn't bring a jacket with me, I must have forgot." 

The blonde flapped a hand at him, "That's totally fine. Keep it til I can give your shirt back."

Sam smiled, "Thanks, I'll make sure I get your hoodie laundered."

Lucifer cracked a smile, "Thank you."

* * *

Lucifer didn't know why he was so nervous. It wasn't like he was lying per se, just stretching the truth a little. No he never outright said exacty how well he knew the lead singer to the brunette Adonis' favorite band. He didn't like keeping something like that from him, but he knew from very personal experience how these things ended up- disappointment and loneliness. 

The blonde sighed, turning his phone around in his hand. Stalling. Knowing the longer he took in the house away from the party, that one of his brothers or someone would think the worst and then his whole cover would be blown. He was being so rude. God, what was the matter with him? Just call him. Its not going to bad as he thinks. 

Hopefully.

Maybe.

Call.

The phone rang twice before he heard a soft voice ask, "Hello?"

Now or never, "Hey there. This Sam?" Where the hell did **that** voice come from? He thought that went away when he left the stage. Did the trick though, thank God for muscle memory.

He heard a quiet gasp on the other end, and muted footsteps leading away from the loud voices overheard int he background. "Uhh, yeah. This is Sam, who's this?"

"This is Nick," Lucifer rolled his eyes at the small fib, "Luci told me it might be better to call you since he might be held up tonight."

"Oh," _Fuck he sounds so sweet_ , "That's cool then."

"He also told me that Perdition is your favorite band. Is that right? Or is he just fucking with me?"

A chuckle, and shit that went right to his belly, "Yeah, he's right. I heard you guys when I was in high school. I was really bummed that I missed your last show."

Lucifer leaned up against the wall, resting his head and closing his eyes, "He told me that. So disappointing, I mean-he said it would have been your first." He opened his eyes in disbelief at what was coming out of his mouth.

"It would have been, yeah," that quiet voice was really doing him in, "but its lucky that I met Luce. He's giving me all your music. How-uh, sorry if this sounds weird but- how do you two know each other?"

Dammit.

He closed his eyes, searching for something until his mouth just moved on its own, "Oh you can say we're pretty close. We know each other..." He shook his head and threw his hand up, _what the hell, might as well_ , "Intimately."

"Oh." He could hear Sam clear his throat, "I thought-"

Lucifer let himself snort in amusement, "Its not like he broadcasts it really, and it was a long time ago, before he met Sara. He doesn't really go with the labels."

"Wow, that's-that's pretty enlightening."

Lucifer squinted at the wall across from him, "You know, Luci isn't really all that nice to strangers. Or really people in general. I take it you guys are...?"

"Oh! No," Sam stammered and Lucifer's shoulders drooped, "I mean-its not that I'm not interested-"

Hope. 

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, its just," He could hear a frustrated sigh, "I just didn't think he was into guys and not into- well- into me."

_Oh my god, have you **seen** you?!_

"I highly," Lucifer stressed the last word, " **highly** doubt that he's not into you."

"How could you even know that? You don't know me or what I look like."

Lucifer hummed in amusement. Really if he didn't feel so bad about lying to the man he would really be enjoying this, "Just because we hooked up a while ago doesn't mean that we don't still talk."

Silence.

Either he scared the kid off or he really has a self confidence issue. How can he be so humble looking like that? He knew people that looked a lot less attractive than Sam and acted like they were a gift from heaven. He shook his head and grinned, "I wanna talk more with you, kiddo. But I think I've been rude enough. I just couldn't let the night go on without calling you."

"Oh I, I understand. It was nice talking to you Nick." It was as if he could taste the disappointment over the line.

"Can I call you tomorrow? When I'm less drunk, and a better conversationist?"

"I'd really like that Nick."

Lucifer bit his lip and took a deep breath, "Night, kid."

"Night, Nick."

* * *

Eventually, they had to call it quits. Gabriel, even though he was having a lot of fun, couldn't help but worry over Kali and the kids. Dean and Castiel wanted to spend the rest of their night together with each other, but were too nice to say anything. Sam could have stayed there the whole night, for more reasons than just the one. He could feel the vibe of the group though. So Lucifer, being the eldest and most- heh- responsible of the group called it a night. He did offer Sam the couch, but the other man politely declined. He couldn't trust himself around the other man in the state he was in.

Dean took Cas home, surprisingly sober for all that he drank. He held onto the shorter brunette tightly as Cas weaved from side to side, chatting about the mating habits of bees. Why that was information everyone needed to know was a mystery, but luckily he didn't throw up in Lucifer's flowers outside. Small miracle, that was.

Gabe pulled his older brother in a tight hug, pounding on his back a couple times, murmuring something in his ear before he took Sam's elbow, "Come Samuel. Escort me to yon car."

"Are you sure this is a good idea? How drunk are you?"

The shorter man stopped and looked up at the tall brunette, "I would never drive drunk with a passenger, Sam. You're safe with me."

The other man squinted at him for a few moments before shrugging, "Okay. I trust you." He turned around and waved at Lucifer, "Thanks for hosting, man!"

The blonde grinned and waved back, "Anytime Sam. Glad you could make it. Get our guest home in one piece, Gabby."

The shorter man just flipped him off before they loaded themselves in the car. He pulled out of the garage smoothly and drive down the road, Sam looking back just to see the porch lights turn off. He watched as the houses fly past, and Sam wondered silently how people could live with their curtains open; he had a habit of creating little stories in his mind of what their lives were like just from what he could see with the split second sight of the insides of their houses. He didn't think he could stand someone being able to so easily see into his life like that. 

It had begun to drizzle, the orange of the streetlights highlighted by the water droplets on the windows and windshield. The wipers making quiet thumps as they moved back and forth, creating a soothing beat to the night time noise. Gabriel didn't turn on any music and Sam was thankful for it, he could already feel the headache brewing in his temples. This is one of the many reasons why he didn't like to drink too much. Another reason was that he found it easier to confront issues that might be best left alone. Which was why he might need to drink away the uncomfortable conversation he was about to have with his very best friend.

He just hoped they still were friends after this.

* * *

"Are we going to talk about it?"

Gabe looked at his passenger out of the corner of his eye. Sam sat hunched in on himself, burrowed in Lucifer's black hoodie- his favorite hoodie- unable to look at him. Gabe breathed a sigh through his nose and rolled his shoulders. He hated having these uncomfortable conversations with the kid. This was unlike his Sam, who was usually so open and challenging, so unafraid of whatever anyone thought of him. 

So badass.

"Talk about about what, Sammy?" Gabe decided on oblivious cheerfulness, cause why not? He was just going to have to lie to the kid anyway. Which gave him a crap taste in his mouth. These are the reasons why Lucifer never lied. He might stretch the truth to fit his own honesty, but he never lied. The truth hurt worse than what a lie ever could, but betrayal tastes the same. Sick and bitter.

A sigh, "You know what."

"I'm afraid you'll have to enlighten me Sam," Gabe shrugged as he waited for the light to turn green, "there's lots of things to talk about. Like why you wanna bone my brother."

"Dude," Sam laughed. "That's not-I mean- really-"

_Real convincing, bro._

"I mean," Gabe started casually, "I'm not saying its a bad idea, per se. Its just a little unexpected is all."

Sam grimaced and looked out the window, "Is it really that obvious?"

Bingo.

"Not really, I mean its not like you're humping his leg or anything. I only notice cause we're close. That's why I told you to make a move."

"If the Earth could swallow me right now-"

"I know someone who would totally swallow you."

Sam frowned at him, "Dude."

Gabe crowed, "Oh my god, you oblivious sap." At Sam's questioning look, Gabe made a face. "The only time I ever gave a girl an article of my clothing, I was either sleeping with her, or trying to sleep with her. Or date her. Or breathe her air." 

Sam shook his head and looked at the passing scenery, "I doubt its like that. He just felt bad cause his cat got my shirt all gross. Then it got really cold there at the end of the party-"

Gabe made a disgruntled noise, "His fucking cat horked a hairball in both of my shoes and he said it was too bad I had to drive home bare foot. And to get my feet looked at because something in my shoes must've made her sick. Like really."

Sam laughed, "That's because you are his brother. Dean dipped my toothbrush in the toilet the other day and only told me after I brushed my teeth. So I'm pretty sure Lucifer was just being nice."

"Oh yeah, he was real nice. I'm pretty sure he'd really nicely climb you like a tree."

"Dude really," Sam sighed seriously, "I highly doubt that."

It got uncomfortably quiet. Gabe's lips thinned and he turned into a parking lot. He turned the car off and they sat there for a few minutes, listening to the ticking of the engine as it cooled. Gabe looked over at Sam and let out a fortifying breath, "Look. The last time we hung out, things got a little weird. I know that's what you really meant about talking, so here we are. Let's talk."

Sam just looked at him for a few minutes, the very picture of apprehensive, "Okay. I mean, I really don't remember much."

"Then tell me what you do remember and I'll fill in the blanks."

Sam sighed, "I remember we went back to your house after I got off work, had a few drinks. After that, its just a blur until I woke up in bed."

Gabe chuckled, and looked out the windshield, "Well those 'few drinks' were two bottles of Crown. And I think there were a few bottles of wine in there." Gabe let out a gust of breath, "I mean I should have been more responsible and not let us get that wasted but we were having a really good time until...Well I mean if you don't remember it, that's probably for the better."

Sam frowned, "I though you said you'd 'fill in the blanks'." Then the younger man paled, "Oh God, what did I do?!"

Gabe shifted, he really didn't want to get into it with the kid, it was uncomfortable the first time. He sighed, "Okay, so we were having a pretty good time. And we were laughing and joking, but one thing led to another and.."

"And what?" Sam wiped his hand down his face in frustration, "Just spit it out already. Please."

"We kissed."

There was an uncomfortable pause, "What?!"

Gabe shifted and elaborated quietly, "You put your arm around me, and said that you have been thinking about doing 'this' for a long time and layed one on me. There was tongue and hands in places. Honestly, if Kali and I didn't have our agreement established then I would have gone for it."

"Wait," Sam held up his hands in a pause position, "What do you mean by 'agreement'?"

"Well, we had a pretty open relationship there for a long time until we got married." At Sam's look, he shrugged, "It's just what was comfortable for us. If we thought someone was hot, or if the opportunity arose, we would bring it up to each other. If either one of us had a problem with it, then we'd leave it at that. But if the other person didn't mind then we'd go for it. The other person would know of course, its not like we got into the habit of stringing people along."

"That's...very progressive of you."

"Its just sex Sam," The shorter man leveled a look at the other man. "That's why if we didn't decide on the agreement, I would have went for it. Don't get me wrong, I love Kali with all of my heart, and whenever there was a chance of me getting down with someone else, she was usually there anyway."

"I just can't see myself having an open relationship with someone."

Gabriel smiled, "That's what I like about you, Sammy. Always so loyal."

"So I kissed and groped you," Sam summed up without commenting on Gabe's remark, "Is that all of it?"

"I gently let you down and it wasn't real pretty."

"Oh god," The younger man covered his face, "Did I threaten you? Get violent?"

"No, you just...crumpled." Gabriel made a helpless gesture with his hands on the steering wheel, "You kept apologizing and was almost sick over it. Told me that you were so confused about what was going on between us and that you were so lonely that you thought you could forget for a night. That thinking that way wasn't fair to me or our friendship but you just needed some kind of closeness. I just, well, talked you down from the proverbial ledge and called Dean to come get you, because there was no way I could drive like that."

"Why didn't he tell me? Or at least give me shit over it?" Sam asked in horrified disbelief.

"I told him that if he breathed a word I was going to tell Cas about it, and to give him hell if he gave you shit." Gabriel grinned. He watched his friend disgest the information before taking pity on the poor creature and putting a hand on his shoulder and waited for his puppy dog eyes to meet his own, "I'm completely flattered, Sam. You are an incredible guy, and you are going to make someone incredibly happy one day. I know what I'm saying is trite and shitty, because out of anyone you fucking deserve someone to give all of that love you have locked away. Its just not me."

Sam smiled gently back at him and looked out the window to deftly wipe at his watering eyes. Gabriel let him pull himself together, could see that patented Winchester armor go back up. Sam bit his lip and asked softly while still looking out the window, "Are we still...friends? Like, I totally get it if you want this to be the last time we hang out together."

"You'd have to do a lot worse than kiss and grope me to get me to not hang out with you. That's like, handing a full guy a steak. He might not be able to eat it, but he can sure as hell smell and look at it."

"I'm a steak?"

"Honey, you are a Kobe beef steak."

* * *

Dean grinned as he drove himself and his boyfriend back to his house, pleasantly buzzed and not too drunk. He didn't know how that was accomplished, he could have sworn he drank far more than he realized, but there was no fuzziness to his sight, no weaving in between the lanes. He was grateful for that, because as he looked out of the corner of his eye to the incredibly plastered man beside him, there was no way he could have left Lucifer's otherwise. 

And wasn't that weird?

He partied with the Devil. Or at least a guy named after the Devil. Who named their kid after the Devil?

"Lucifer means Lightbringer," Castiel intoned. He was tapping his fingers on his thigh to the beat of whatever song was playing on the radio. Usually Dean had a knack for guessing the music but the fact that his boyfriend legit read his mind it was hard to focus on anything else.

"Say what now?" He covered his surprise by asking the question, quashing down the chill that raced down his spine.

The dark head lolled over to face him, silly grin in place, "I know that my brother rubs you the wrong way. Usually its the name that gets stuck in people's heads. It actually used to bother him a lot. That's why we call him different names. Also you mumble a lot when you're deep in thought."

Dean chuckled weakly and scrubbed a hand down his face, "I mean why didn't they just name him something else? Like Zachariah?"

"Or Metatron?" Castiel supplied what he felt was an equally ridiculous name in his opinion, "He was the second born. It just fit. I think his mother just wanted to turn the connotation of the name around. Unfortunately, she wasn't around to help with it."

Dean remembered a time when- not that long ago, maybe a year- that he and Cas shared some pretty intimate facts about their lives with each other. One of them being that each of the brothers had different mothers. Dean nodded, "Yeah what happened with that anyway?"

Cas turned his head to look out the window, "Cervical cancer. It was a miracle she was able to have Lucifer to begin with."

It was silent for a while, Dean obviously picking up that it was a sore subject for the other man. He didn't know how, if it wasn't for her death then Cas wouldn't have been born. Maybe. Hell, Dean didn't know. It just sucked all around and he commiserated with the other man.

He decided to change the subject and put his hand on his lover's knee, "Did you have a good time, angel?"

Cas looked at his hand and beamed, the crinkles around his eyes making him all squinty-eyed, "Yes I did. Thank you for being there."

"Where else would I be on your birthday?"

The other man's smile faded and he shrugged, "I don't know. I know that you don't particularly care for my brothers-"

"Hey that's not-"

"And its okay. I'm glad that you made an effort for me."

Dean frowned and quickly decided that this was something he needed to fix, no matter that Cas was pretty drunk and might not mean what he said. He knew you couldn't exactly reason with someone who was drinking but nine times out of ten they told the truth, no matter if you wanted to hear it. 

The brunette looked around in confusion, "Dean, what-"

He was silenced by lips sliding softly over his own, his eyes fluttered as he felt the mechanic's rough fingers cup his jaw, and tilted his face up to get better access. He wound his arms around his boyfriend's powerful shoulders and leaned back. He felt the other man fumble a little to take off his seatbelt before a knee drew up on the seat and before he knew it, he had a lapful of Winchester. 

Dean moved back a little and growled a little as his head connected with the roof of his car, he swooped in and nibbled lightly on the brunette's ear before crooning, "Hold on a minute." Without anything else productive he could do he held onto the slim hips above his as the other man pulled a lever and Castiel issued a startled noise when the back of the bench seat fell back and they were reclined. 

He arched an inky brow at the man above him, "This is a pleasant surprise."

Dean smiled a little and rubbed the back of his head, the movement shifting his hips in a very interesting way and watched as his lover's eyes fluttered in arousal. "I need to tell you something that I think is pretty important, but I also really want to fool around in my car."

Castiel snorted below him and boy did that do interesting things, including the hands that were cupping his rear. The other man took away one of his hands to tug a little on the bottom of his t shirt, paying witht he sliver of skin he unveiled, "Proceed. I'm all ears."

"All hands too," Dean muttered lowly and bit his lip as the fingertips dancing around his skin dipped a little below the waistband of his jeans, "Hey, look at me. I need you to be serious for a second."

"Baby I'm always serious," Castiel replied casually before he stilled his hands and laid them on his boyfriend's hips, "Tell me. What's on your mind that is more important than fooling around?"

The other man took a breath and ran his hands through Castiel's crazy bed hair before stilling them, "I know we've danced around the words, and even said them in passing, but I love you. So much. Your brothers are the weirdest people I've ever met and it doesn't matter that they really creep me out sometimes, like how very close they seem to be-"

"I could say the same-"

He pecked a silent kiss to shut the other up before continuing, "Tonight I realized how much you miss them. How close you guys are is just like me and Sam. Knowing that, and knowing how long it took to get there was pretty sobering. I can't imagine my life without Sam, without being able to see or hear him every day. You didn't have that for a long time."

"No, I didn't," Castiel's eyes glistened with unshed tears, "I know Sam and I have gotten close, and I do consider him like my brother. Its just-"

"Different when its family." This is not how he wanted this to go, dammit. This is why he hated these heart to heart talks, "What I mean to say, is that you care about them a great deal, and I care about you a great deal, so I...care about them too. Its not their fault they sometimes rub me the wrong way-"

"They better not be rubbing you in any way-"

"Dammit Cas," Dean couldn't help but huff out a laugh as Cas snickered under him, "I'm trying to-" He stopped as he felt a hand on his cheek.

"I know, Dean. Thank you," The brunette leaned up and pulled him down to meet in a lingering kiss before pulling away to rest his forehead on Dean's, "Now I want a lapdance for my birthday."

"There's not much room-"

"Adapt and overcome Winchester," Castiel commanded with a smirk and a slap to that very fine ass.

* * *

Lucifer flicked the lights off and rested his back against the front door. Closing his eyes, he rubbed them roughly and emitted a pleased sound before realizing he was sitll wearing his itchy ass contacts. His eyes were literally burning in his skull and he doomed himself to searching for the folded up piece of plastic for more minutes than he cared to. Blinking his eyes rapidly and gritting his teeth at the uncomfortable feeling in his eye he trudged down the hallway to his bedroom.

Looking longingly at his large platform bed he walked into his master bathroom, literally the only room that was all the way unpacked in his entire house other than the kitchen. He was taking his time with all the boxes, so sue him. He flipped the light on and grunted at all the whiteness that was stabbing his eyes. He really should have thought about color but he couldn't excatly wrap his mind around all the different styles and shit with all those people shopping and the noise. 

He should have ordered online. 

Then Gabriel would have harped on him being a shut-in and he didn't want to hear more of his little brother's well-meaning nagging. He'd get out eventually, there was just too much to do at home and outside is...well, its too much. At least currently. He was surprised that he lasted as long as he did today, honestly. Then again, he had an incredible distraction. 

He sighed at his rumpled reflection. 

Was there supposed to be two of him?

He thought not. He shook his head wearily and shuffled to the sink. He turned on some cool water and splashed his face, already feeling a bit cleaner. He blinked into the mirror, his pale face and blood-shot eyes staring back at him. He took so damn tired. He _was_ damn tired. He rolled his head slowly around his tight shoulders, regretting the little play-fight with his brother as his back screamed at him in pain. 

He was just going to have to get up earlier for more intensive stretching. Yay.

He cleared his throat and fished out his contacts case, plucking the one out before looking into the mirror to better trap the other folded up contact. Watching him rummage around in his eyeball made Sara nauseous, and he used to take great pleasure in teasing the hell out of her. 

There were times he had these flashes, of their life together and it didn't hurt as much as it used to. They called it healing but Lucifer considered it numbing. If he let himself, he could keep letting the memories wash over them until he was a howling mess on the floor. It wouldn't do him any good, so he took the advice of an old friend and just let it wash over him, and let it go away. 

"That's right you little shit, come to daddy," He crowed lowly as he plucked the contact out of his rapidly tearing eye. He inspected it before putting it in its little home, resolving to change them for a fresh pair the day after next. They said one day disposable but he didn't listen to that nonsense. He was a rebel, dammit. 

He snorted at himself before resolving to brush his teeth. He leaned over to snatch his toothbrush and hissed at the bolts of pain that went down his back. He clutched at the sides of the little counter his sink was built into and groaned. It was right around his shoulderblades, just this knotting, burning, searing feeling that usually just went away after a few moments. Lucifer just chalked it up to getting older, or not working out as often as he used to. The institution was good for that, inner and outer health and all but fuck. 

He breathed through his nose, his arms trembling with the effort of holding his upper body up, and the incredible pain lancing down his back. Whenever he got like this- though not as bad as it was now- Sara would help him to the bed and break out the muscle rub. Her small hands kneading the dense muscles always helped immensely. Now he was alone and had no way of fixing it. 

He was bendy but not that bendy.

Okay his teeth could wait til tomorrow. Not like he had to worry about anyone complaining of morning breath besides Meg, but she had no room to talk. Kibble and whatever else the lazy cat decided to feed on didn't do her breath any favors. And speaking of the little devil...

She was curled up right in the middle of his bed. Fantastic. How he didn't see that ball of fur at the first pass he had no clue. He carefully picked his way to the room, the thought of crawling to his bed crossed his mind but he wasn't that far gone yet, and his pride could only deal with so much right now. She watched as he approached, her golden eyes assessing the situation with far more intelligence than Gabe gave her credit for, before she deftly moved out of the way for her master and waited patiently to settle down on his front, cross ways on the bed. She purred loudly as she drew near, and nuzzled his face since he had really no ability nor desire to bat her away.

"Hello sweetness," he murmured, "Daddy's not feeling too hot right now." He pet what he could with his limited capabilities, hissing slightly as he moved too much and felt a fresh spike of pain. She nibbled his fingers in admonishment and proceeded to do the one thing he was worried about. 

Jump on his damn back. 

What he thought was going to be incredibly awful was actually...not so bad. He huffed, and his eyes watered a little bit as he felt her little paws kneading the muscles that hurt the worse. Screw what Gabe said, Meg was a saint of a creature. He hummed pleasantly as she shifted her weight to counteract what she was doing with his paws and he didn't know how she knew, she just did. Kitty will be having many of treats as soon as his back was feeling better. That much was for sure. 

He felt an odd vibration in his front pocket and his eyes opened in quiet alarm before he realized he put his phone in his front pocket. He slowly wormed his hand to his pocket, Meg pausing in her ministrations, where she would usually do the whole growl and swipe before launching her self off of him. He brought his hand back up with his prize and Meg proceeded to continue her kneading, he hummed in pleasure as the ache was starting to go away. 

He unlocked his screen to see a text from a good friend from what seemed like so long ago, even though its only been a few weeks. Rowena's mother used to be part of his mother's coven, and stayed around to help out with her funeral. Though her mother moved on, Rowena stayed his friend long after his mother passed, and was a rock through some of the most difficult times in his life. Which was why when he needed some comfort a couple years after Sara's death, that she showed right up, as if she knew he needed her. 

She was funny like that.

`Rowena: how's my sweetie doing?`

His lips quirked in a smile and he typed one handed, `-a little drunk. back hurts. Meg s helping. U?`

`RoRo: I take it you're typing one-handed. Do I know this Meg?`

` `` `

` `` `

`-u should. u have her littermate`

`RoRo: I sincerely thought you met someone. How exactly is a cat helping you?`

`-she's making back biscuits. 's the best.`

`RoRo: You have a strange relationship with your cat.`

`-familiar is the proper term, u should know that. i miss u`

`RoRo: I miss you too, dearie. I'm in town for a few days and was wondering if you would like to go to lunch?`

`-of courstt, name the time and place.`

`RoRo: Roadhouse Bar and Grill, say around 1? Maybe 2 since you are up this late you might want to sleep in.`

`- LOL you know I don't sleep in. I'll see you there at 1. `

`RoRo: Get some sleep, love. Can't wait to catch up.`

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh me oh my, what will happen next?! Stay tuned, and comments/concrit are greatly appreciated! Feed the BEAST! Rowr


	9. Young and Beautiful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The obligatory after-party hangover. Claire unwittingly sends Sam a mystery to solve, and lunch with our favorite witch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title is from the song "Young and Beautiful" by Lana Del Ray. Its haunting and aching lyrics inspired many moments in this chapter. Once again, I don't own for if I did, this show'd be on HBO and would be full of naughty language and peen.

_The cage was shoved into the deepest, darkest corner of Hell; wrought with iron and salt, carved with the most ancient Enochian sigils to ensure not just Lucifer's imprisonment, but punishment. His hatred for God's favored creation, his sacrifice to the mark, and his abandonment by his family only served to fuel his rage and thus, the effort he made to break out. Nothing he did achieve his goal, the bars just absorbed the power his Grace emitted, his corruption twisting him into something he wouldn't recognize anymore. The horror would have been enough-really should have been enough for him- but being in Hell and drowning in a cesspool of darkness and decay the cage became a punishment in itself._

_It fed upon his grace, lashed out in horrific ways, torturing not only his true form but his Grace as well. It made him question what was real and what was fabrication meant to punish. How long would his imprisonment last? When would he be forgiven by crimes he was influenced to commit? When would he hear his family's song once more? Would he ever fly amongst the stars again?_

_After what had seemed like endless torture, the sweetest cry pierced through the screams and darkness of Hell._

_**Sam Winchester is born.** _

_Little Sammy Winchester- his true vessel, his salvation- the one that would release the archangel to exact his revenge on the world and Heaven. Only then wold his father listen, he would make his brother see._

_He flexed his broken and burnt wings, once so glorious and reflecting the first brush of the rosy morn. Soon he would be free to greet the dawn once more, soon he would fly again._

_The reckoning was coming._

_All he had to do was wait._

Lucifer woke with a grunt of pain and nausea, a creeping dread crawling through his body. His stomach roiled; nothing but copious amounts of booze and not enough food to soak it up. He had to lever himself out of bed quickly and hopefully without a lot of movement because he was determined to not throw up.

He let out a whimpery pained sound as he opened his eyes only to have them be stabbed by with the righteous fire of the early morning daylight. He screwed his eyes shut and nipped a pillow with his fingertips to cover his face. Why did past him not close the damn blinds before passing out? Why, just...why?

He groaned and mustered the gumption to get up. There'd be no way he would be able to get back to sleep anyway, even though the sun barely topped the trees in the distance. So he would just have to pop some painkillers, drink some water, curse responsibility and go on with his day.

He levered himself out of bed and shuffled blearily to the bathroom. He went ahead with his normal morning routine, as he wasn't as nauseous as he thought he'd be. He relieved himself, brushed his teeth and took some painkillers. He nearly tripped over Meg on his way out to the kitchen to start his coffee, making more coffee because he just knew Gabriel would visit on his way back from dropping the boys off. Walking out onto the patio, Lucifer took a deep breath and surveyed the damage of the night before. There were chairs strewn about, the tables needed to be folded back up and transported back into his garage, why he had to keep them when Gabe had more than enough space was really beyond him. 

He shook his head and closed his eyes, while taking a deep breath he raised his arms over his head. The stretch of tired and overworked muscles was a boon, not just to help his body but his mind as well. As he slipped into the poses that were ingrained in him since he was small, his mind quieted from the alarm and dread that stayed with him since he opened his eyes that morning. It wasn't just the guilt and anxiety of omitting certain details to Sam the night before, but the dreams that had plagued him for longer than he cared to remember.

That had to be the only reason the younger man was in his dream. What other solution would there be? That he was really Satan and Sam would release him from Hell? He huffed out a breath a little too quickly and staggered a bit, almost falling on his hip out of the warrior pose. Taking a deep breath to get himself centered once more he closed his eyes. 

And all he saw was bars.

His wrenched his eyes back open and straightened, once more taking a deep breath and stretching his arms over his head. He clenched his teeth at the slight pain in his back and brought his arms down. Doing the move one more time to loosen his muscles he slipped back into that quiet mindset. He supposed he needed to make a call to his therapist, the hallucinations were coming back and he wasn't sure what the trigger was. Could it have been the move in itself? He breathed out through his nose as he bent at the waist to place his hands on the deck, that couldn't be the reason. She assured him that starting fresh, in a safe place around his family would help him through along with his medication. 

Could it have been meeting new people?

_Little Sammy Winchester._

He shivered as he heard his own voice whisper sinisterly in his ear. No, he wasn't going to let whatever it was that was in his head ruin a good thing. And meeting Sam was definitely a good thing.  
He stretched his right leg back and growled at the deep pull his muscles made. Maybe it was everything happening at once and he didn't give himself enough time to adjust before offering his house for Cas' birthday party. He brought his other leg back and savored the feeling of his back relaxing, that had to be it. He smiled lightly as he shifted backward, lifting his hips up and decided to just breathe there for a minute. His legs trembled at the burn but his mind went in circles. Two weeks wasn't that long int he scheme of things, and he barely gave himself time to rest before doing several major- in his doctor's opinion- actions. 

He brought his hips down and arched his back, his careful breathing abruptly stopped and he took in a pained gasp-

_He felt this deep pain before, being almost bent backward and helpless, could even feel the hand grip the back of his head and hair in a brutal grasp. He could see a glowing had arching above him, a gleaming short sword in his grasp the terror of his impending demise muted only slightly at the brilliance of the arm above him and the multitude of twinkling stars in the backdrop. If this was to be his last sight before death, let it be that of the Heavens above, let it be the home he'd never see again._

He coughed violently and curled into himself, feeling his body weaken and slump to the side. God, his head hurt. His whole being hurt- hell, down to the soul. He trembled there in a huddled mass, cold to his very core. He vaguely heard the little bell on Meg's collar chime as she scuttled up the porch steps into the divot his body made to curl up against his belly, purring as loud as she could. All he could do was focus on his breathing- or try to, as his chest grew tight and his heart hammered in ribcage. 

Through the blood pounding in his ears, he could hear the muted thumps of someone knocking at the door and it only seemed to set off little keens trapped in his throat. Suddenly he was in their old house, clutching Sara's bloody body and screaming while the police pounded on their door. The red and blue lights arching through the window to flash against the walls, the bloody floor, the insides of his burning eyelids. 

The door opened and closed, a voice calling out his name and it didn't sound familiar at all. It sounded like the officers calling out, to see if anyone was there, if anyone was alive. In the past he was pretty aggravated at the seeming nosiness of his neighbors but he was grateful for it that night. Seeing someone skulking around his house caused them to call the police, there would have been no way he could get himself together enough to call them himself. Not in the state he was in. 

He was shaking violently as he felt the vibrations of the patio door being wrenched open, the boots rushing over to him. Meg growled in warning and a voice droning something soothing. He felt the warm little body move away but could do anything. He was frozen in fear, unable to get any breath in his lungs. All he could do was try and get as much air as he could only for it to whoosh back out in seconds. He felt hands on his back and arm, firm but gentle and knew it had to be Gabriel. Lucifer felt himself being maneuvered into a sitting position, curled up in Gabriel's arms, with his head tucked under his younger brother's chin. 

Warmth. 

With his brother rubbing his back it seemed to chase away the cold and he was able to breathe again. He slumped in exhaustion and just focused on calming his breathing. What started out sounding like an adult from Charlie Brown, Gabriel's voice was slowly getting clearer the more he calmed down, "Its okay. I'm here, Luci. You're going to be alright, just listen to the sound of my voice okay? Everything's going to be fine. You're going to be fine."

"I'm sorry," Lucifer croaked. He felt worse when his vision blurred and knew tears were trekking down his face. 

"Hey, don't be," He felt a hand pass through his hair, then a thumb brushing the moisture away. "You've seen me fucked up before, bro. It happens."

"Not like this it doesn't. I shouldn't-shouldn't be-"

"Don't focus on any of that right now." Gabriel admonished gently. He rocked him unconsciously, "You just focus on my voice and try to come down. Its going to be okay."

"Is it?" Lucifer pulled back and wiped at his face. He looked over at his brother in despair, "It doesn't seem to get any better. This-" He made a motion at his life in general and bit his lip to stop it from trembling, "All of this. Its still the same no matter where I go, the dreams and the hallucinations don't seem to be going away."

"Hallu-" Gabriel pulled back, "Hallucinations? You told me, you told the _doctors_ -"

"I know what I told them," Lucifer sighed wearily, "but how else was I going to get out of there? I was in a constant drug haze. The only time I slept I was drugged, the only time I ate was when I was drugged and it wasn't much. I didn't think or feel anything. The drugs didn't make any of it go away, I still had nightmares, I still saw shit. I had to get out of there. I couldn't stand it anymore."

Gabriel took a breath and scrubbed at his face, "So when you told me you were taking your medication-"

"I flushed them. Every day, so that if you or anyone else counted them then it would seem like I was taking them."

"So you lied to me."

Lucifer slumped and shrugged, "I-I guess, yeah." He shook his head and looked out at the yard, "I don't know why but it was important that I did it. I didn't like the way the medication made me feel. I was a zombie just walking through the house, in a daze. I didn't eat anything, I was so tired but couldn't sleep."

"So why didn't you just call the doctor? Why didn't you just tell me?"

Lucifer looked back at him and frowned, "If I called the doctor she'd want me to go back there. And for who knows how long? If I told you I thought- you know I really thought that...you'd send me back."

Gabriel shook his head, "Dude, I'd never do that to you. If you would have let me in and told me we would have found a way-"

"-But that's not what you did the first time."

"You tried to kill yourself!" He flinched as Gabriel shouted in frustration, and gripped his arm. Bringing it up he showed Lucifer the scar on his wrist, "Do you have any idea what it was like to walk into your bathroom, and see you on the fucking floor in a pool of blood just digging the glass in your wrist?"

"Don't-" He tried pulling away but Gabriel held fast.

"Do you have any clue how sickening the things you were saying? That it should have been you? That you made a deal and if you killed yourself it would bring them back? That even if it didn't then it wouldn't matter anyway? That the world would be better off without you?"

"Stop-"

"No!" Gabriel's sob tore through Lucifer's own distress and he saw his little brother's face drawn in agony, "I'll never stop. I'll never stop reminding you of this, of caring about you. You're my brother and I fucking _love_ you. I almost lost you, and I did what I thought was best. Michael-"

"Michael didn't give a shit about any of it." Lucifer ripped his arm out of Gabriel's grasp and hugged himself. Gabriel flicked his hands in frustration and placed them on his knees. "He contacted them, paid for it, but he never once came to see me. He wanted to forget the 'family drama'-and don't try to tell me he didn't say that, cause I was cogent enough to hear him- he hasn't once spoken to me since I left."

"I can't talk for him, Luci. I'll admit, I was scared. I couldn't help you, none of us could." Lucifer looked up when he felt his hand on his shoulder, "The doctors at the er put you on suicide watch. I was up most of the night just watching you. Michael spent the whole time on the phone with the center because he thought he was doing the right thing. They would have just locked you up and keep you doped up. What felt like being drugged up all the time was the mix of grief and medication. You barely talked. You can't even remember the first few weeks you were there. Michael was there every day to see you."

"I don't remember-"

"Of course you wouldn't," Gabe soothed gently, "you were completely fucked up at the time. The last time Michael visited, it was pretty unreal. You weren't you. The doctors and nurses told him it was a bad time, and that he really should just come back when you've calmed down. I guess the therapy session went a little too deep and you had a little 'episode'. But he had to fly back home and wanted badly to see you. It-It wasn't good. I guess some really hurtful things were said on both sides and he didn't dare go back."

Lucifer frowned, "Then that's why he hasn't called. Or texted."

Gabriel shrugged, "At the time he wanted to give you space, but he's gotten pretty busy with the firm. He knows you moved back, but didn't agree with it. He felt like it was way too soon for you to be released."

"They can't deny my release if I'm an adult."

"You were a danger to yourself and others, I think that takes more precedence."

"Then how-"

"I did. I signed the papers."

"Why?"

Gabriel looked at him for a few moments, his whiskey colored eyes darting around his face before saying quietly, "I felt that you needed to be free more than you needed to be locked up."

That sent a shiver down Lucifer's spine. 

Lucifer drew his knees up and hugged them, "How could you know that I wouldn't do it again? That I wouldn't go off the deep end?"

"I didn't. But I couldn't stand to see you in there. You faded every day. I mean, you looked healthier, less tired and gained the weight you lost. But it was like the light went away." His younger brother rolled his eyes, "I don't even think I'm saying this right. I felt like the more time you spent there the more it was changing you. You weren't living you were just existing. To be a part of that, to watch the brother I know and love just die a little everyday and I could fix it? Then yeah, I'd sign anything to save you."

"I bet he was pissed you did that."

"Yeah we're not on speaking terms right now."

Lucifer's brow furrowed, "Does Cas-"

"Yeah, he knew." Gabriel nodded, "I don't really know how he felt about it, you know him. He doesn't really let anyone see how he feels. He was having trouble with his feelings for Dean and the whole divorce with Amelia."

"I should have been there for him. For all of you guys."

"You couldn't. You can't protect us all the time, man." Gabriel shrugged and shook his head, then looked out blindly at the yard, "You had, and are having the roughest battle that any of us has ever had. You really need to focus on your own well-being and happiness. You need to find that reason to keep getting up every morning, to heal, even if its something little. I can help- we can help as much as we can."

Lucifer took a fortifying breath and let his legs stretch out on the deck, "Thanks. Feeling shitty for all of this."

"You're allowed to feel shitty every now and then. I'm surprised this hasn't happened sooner. What with you not taking your meds and all."

"Weed helps."

Gabriel rolled his eyes, "Fucking pothead."

* * *

It would be so very nice if his alarm would just implode and he wouldn't have to have that noise piercing his eardrums. Sam slapped in the general direction of the device and slumped into the pillow when the sound finally stopped. Why, why was it a good idea to drink that much? He made a face as he could smell the alcohol and bonfire smoke permeating the sheets. His clothes. His breath. 

Gross. 

He sighed and choked down the bile that rose in his throat as he shifted. He could feel his mouth fill with saliva and knew in the next few seconds he was definitely going to upchuck. 

He quickly threw back the covers and lurched through his room and made it to the toilet just in time. Luckily he go tto the toilet just in time to empty his stomach. When he finished, he pillowed his head on his arm just to breathe for a few moments. He could hear sizzling through the door, and the smell of bacon and eggs wafted through the door. The mere thought of food made his stomach clench. 

He took a deep breath and made a supremely disgusted face, he needed a shower. Badly. He quickly stripped out of his clothes, and tossed them into the nearly overflowing laundry hamper. He made a mental note to take them to the laundromat as soon as he could. Getting a new water heater and repairing the damage took a hit to their savings that they were going to put towards a washer and dryer. Really sucked but there wasn't much they could have done about it. Luckily it wasn't much damage but the cost of the water heater was very expensive, and Sam was very grateful he was able to help out. 

He groaned as the very nearly scalding hot water sluiced down his lean frame. He stood under the water for a few moments, just absorbing and relishing the heat. He sighed a little in pleased comfort and proceeded to shampoo his hair, the scent of argan oil and maple. Dean made total fun of what he called his "frou frou" shampoo, but it was seriously the best. Made of all these oils, its was just...you know, he really didn't have to defend himself over his preference in shampoo. He was secure in his masculinity, and if he wanted nice smelling stuff and keep his hair as long as he wanted then as long as he wasn't hurting anyone it shouldn't be as big a deal as Dean made it out to be. Like he should talk, Sam saw his bath bomb collection. 

After he washed out the shampoo he proceeded to condition his hair while washing the rest of his body, and after only a few minutes he rinsed and turned off the water. He hummed to himself while grabbing a fluffy towel and wrapping it around himself. He could hear Dean and Cas murmuring to each other through the door and figured they would be picking up Emma in a while, that way they could drop him off at the laundromat hopefully. 

He got ready quickly and went out to the kitchen to see Cas slumped around his coffee mug, a pair of dark sunglasses perched on his face. Dean held onto his mug and leaned back in his chair, darting a quick smile in greeting. Sam grinned back and got himself some coffee and sat down at the table between the two men. The food smelled really good but at the thought of eating the greasy bacon his stomach turned, and selected a piece of toast instead. 

"I'm never drinking again," Cas rumbled miserably.

"You always say that, babe," Dean chuckled behind the rm of his cup.

"Why are you yelling?"

Sam grinned and took a swig of his coffee, and yeah, Dean definitely made the good stuff that morning. Where Sam was picky about his hair care products, Dean was picky about his coffee. Sam figured it was due to all the crappy stuff they had to settle with shoddy motel coffee over the years, so as long as they had enough money to cover rent and bills they would splurge a little. "Hey I was wondering when you go pick Emma up today if you could give me a lift to the laundromat? Really need to take care of the clothes in the bathroom."

Dean nodded, "Yeah no problem. Mind if I toss in some clothes from my room too?"

Sam shrugged, "That's fine I have enough to do a good amount, so might as well. Think we'll have enough room in the trunk?"

"In my baby? Hell yeah."

They finished breakfast in record time, and while Cas changed into a set of Dean's clothes the two brothers gathered all the dirty clothes they had and piled them into the trunk of the Impala. Sam paused as he was about to close the trunk, something was off. Did the trunk always look like that? He could have sworn there was some kind of white paint on the inside of the trunk door. His brow furrowed, when did they get so many clothes in the first place? They only had enough to fit into two military duffel bags.

Wait. 

Did they? Didn't they also lug around guns at one point? He could have sworn-

"Sam!"

The taller man startled and looked over at his brother who was obviously calling him more than once. "Sorry, what?"

Dean's arms were folded across his chest and his brow rose, "Just wondering how long you were going to be staring into the trunk? Ddi you find Mr.Tumnus?"

Sam made a face at him, "Really? And you get on me for being nerdy."

"Hey I read."

Sam rolled his eyes and got into the passenger seat, "Barely." He looked behind him to see Castiel sitting stiffly in the back seat, staring straight ahead, "Dude you okay?"

"I am not looking forward to shopping today."

Oh yeah, it was back-to-school shopping for Claire. Sam wondered if she was going to tell her dad what she told him yesterday. He certainly hoped so because he didn't like knowing that kind of information when the other party didn't. He pulled out his phone and brought up Claire's contact information, Castiel gave him her number a long while ago, in case he was unable to be contacted. 

`-Your dad is hungover all to hell.`

`Claire Bear: omg send me a pic.`

Sam snickered and took a steathly pick of the sickly looking man huddled in his worn, tan trenchcoat. He was leaned against the window, his eyes bloodshot and glassy behind his shades. He didn't bother to shave but was other wise clean. The man looked like he was a student about to fail a college final.

He'd seen plenty of that at Stanford.

He sent it quickly, and got a response a moment later. `Claire Bear: bahahaha. Dude how much did you guys drink??`

`-A lot? Like I lost count.`

`Claire Bear: I bet he's not going to want to go shopping today. I guess I could ask Uncle Gabe or Luci if they could drive me around. See if Dad would lend me his card?`

`-Oh yeah, I'm sure your father would entrust his card to his teenage daughter.`

`Claire Bear: Rats. Can;t blame a girl for trying tho.`

Taking pity on the girl, Sam called to the backseat, "Hey Cas, you sure you'd be able to go shopping with Claire today?"

"Its nothing that copious amounts of coffee and painkillers won't cure. I might see if Lucifer wouldn't mind driving though. Claire is...a little free with her maneuvering and I don't want to clean vomit out of my car again."

Sam nodded and sent a text back to her, `- He'll be fine, but he's going to see if your uncle Gabe or Lucifer would drive.`

`Claire Bear: Gabe is going to work today, and I don't know about Uncle Luci. He might be more hungover than you guys. Did he drink?`

`-Well yeah, we were all drinking, why?` Sam frowned.

`Claire Bear: Well I heard him tell Uncle Gabe that he didn't want to drink too much last night cause it messes with his meds.`

`-Might want to text him then, check on him and see if he's up to it.`

`Claire Bear: O...I thought you already talked to him today?`

`-I would but I don't have his number.`

`Claire Bear: O.o weird, I thought for sure he would have given it to you with the way you guys were 'hanging out' all day.`

`-No dice.` He laid his phone down on his thigh and looked out the window, watching the mid morning traffic until his phone buzzed. He looked down to see that Claire sent him a number, which looked oddly familiar. He flicked o his contacts and saw that- hmm, looked an awful lot like the number that called him last night. But it wasn't Lucifer he talked to, it was Nick. He squinted out the window, the gears in his mind grinding to life. If that was in fact Lucifer's number, and Nick called him last night, then that would mean-

"We're here. I'll help you get the baskets inside." Dean parked and got out, Sam following slowly after him, his mind whirling with this new information.He didn't say much when his brother turned to leave, merely waving at him distractedly.

He made quick work of unloading their clothes in four washers, staring balefully at an old lady when she muttered under her breath about selfish young people. As if she wasn't hoarding half the dryers herself. When she turned away his brought his attention back to his phone. Really, it wasn't hard to figure out their numbers were one in the same but what he couldn't figure out was why the man felt the need to lie to him like that?

* * *

"You sure you're going to be okay?" Dean stopped the engine outside of his lover's house and pulled the brunette closer into a side hug. Cas just nuzzled his face into the other man's neck and groaned. Dean smiled and rubbed his boyfriend's arm, "I get it, babe. Sorry I had to wake you up so early."

"'S fine, Dean." The other man grumbled lowly, "Claire will be home soon. I'll just get a shower and I should be fine."

"Gonna call me if you need to?"

"Of course, I always call you." Cas took a deep breath and cleared the distance between them, the kiss deepening the longer they held each other. Dean poured everything he was feeling, clutching the other man to him like he was going to disappear. His angel really scared him there, and he wasn't sure how he was going to fix that insecurity that he knew Castiel was still feeling. He knew now that the other man was worrying about this for a long time, though he kept it hidden. Maybe even kept them hidden from himself, he wasn't sure. 

They were interrupted as a car pulled up, and Dean felt his boyfriend stiffen before pulling back. Dean relaxed and waved at the little blonde in the driver's seat, cringing at not only her taste in music, but the volume in which she listened to it with, "I am not changing her speakers again."

Castiel snickered, "You just don't like her music. Not everyone likes to listen to the oldies."

Dean's eyes widened in horror, "How. Dare. You!" He waved an admonishing finger at the other man, already seeing his mood lighten, "You will refer to them as the classics in my presence, mister!"

He watched the other man slowly nod his head mockingly, "Sure, Dean." He pulled open the door and paused, "I'll talk to you tonight?"

Dean grinned, "Yeah, baby. I'll keep my phone charged."

As the other man nodded and gestured to Claire to go into the house Dean let out a tense breath. Checking the time on his phone he realized he was getting a little late to pick up Emma, "Aw crap."

Today was going to be a stressful day, he could just feel it.

* * *

`Gabby: And you're sure you're going to be okay? I can definitely call off.`

Lucifer made a face at the message `-I'll be fine. If anything goes wrong I'll send out a bat signal okay? Which it won't, because I'm fine.`

He pulled his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door to his car. He knew he was probably going to be a bit early, but he just had to get out of his house. He didn't know why, but it felt like the walls were closing in on him, and maybe Gabe was right. That he needed to get out more, into the open instead of staying inside all the time. The more he stayed in, the more it was going to feel like a cell.

_Like the Cage._

He closed his eyes and took a tight breath, thinking like that was only going to make him more paranoid than he already was. Shaking his head he hopped into his car, taking a cursory sniff of his clothes just to make sure and yep, he really needed to spray something before going out in public. 

After he and Gabe talked for a bit over coffee, his brother left him to get ready for the day which consisted of a shower and smoking probably a bit more than he usually did. Hey, he had to be out in public with people and after that fucking 'episode' on his patio he was feeling way to anxious and jittery. Gabe was reluctant to leave but had to anyway to get to work, apparently two baristas called off and there was a shipment situation. He didn't exactly go into details but Lucifer could see was heavily debating letting the others take care of it if it meant saving Lucifer from himself. 

It didn't take long to drive to the Roadhouse, so quickly in fact he wondered if he should have just walked. He didn't particularly care for driving anyway but something was telling him he needed a vehicle. He always listened to that little voice, it was more accurate than anything and the last time he didn't listen-

Well he wasn't going to think about that. 

He smiled as he saw Rowena's little red sports car in the very next space next to the handicap spot in front of the bar and grill. Knowing her she had some killer heels on and her little frame wasn't about to totter across the cracked parking lot. He shut off his vehicle and stepped out, taking a deep breath of fresh air infused with the haunting smell of fries and hamburgers. Hearing his stomach growl loudly he snorted, "Don't you worry lil buddy, we'll get some grub in you."

He glared at an old man- the same old man that gave him and Sam the stink eye yesterday, "What? Never heard of someone talking to their internal organs before? Beat it." He rolled his eyes as the older man hurried over to his car, muttering about rude young men in this day and age. _Well don't be shitty to me or mine and that won't happen,_ except Sam wasn't his and he'd better get off that train of thought if he were going to be in public.

The place was busier than it was yesterday, people filled the stools at the bar counter and more were in the booths and tables. All of the tvs were on that were mounted on the walls and whatever free space was littered with kitchy knick knacks. God, the place reminded him so much of Shenanigan's it was unreal. Just before he was about to turn to leave, and send a message to Rowena that he wasn't feeling well, she saw him. A short little pixy dressed from head to toe in red and large black sunglasses- _who in their right mind wore sunglasses inside?_ \- her crimson lips stretched into a arge smile and she waved to beckon him closer. 

He picked his way through the tables, skirting far away from getting too close to anyone and stopped at their booth to embrace his very best friend. Receiving a peck on the cheek before pulling away he slid into the booth across from her. 

"It's been far too long, dearie." The woman said spritely, her Scottish accent lilting with each syllable. 

"Yeah sorry, Its just been-"

"-difficult for you, I imagine." She put her hand atop his and squeezed gently, and anyone else his hackles would have raised but not with her. He could feel his arm relaxing, like she soothed his energy somehow, "Moving across country like that would have been taxing for anyone. It is good to see you home, it suits you."

"Thanks," he said softly while turning his hand to hold it, "its good to be home."

She took her glasses off slowly with her other hand, her dark eyes darting over his face quickly. A small line formed between her carefully sculpted brows, "But something's not quite right. What happened, Luci?"

He shook his head and tried to pry his hand from her's but he held it in a tight grip. He frowned and looked out the window, "Nothing. Its nothing."

"I should **say** nothing," She mocked lowly, "Your aura is all over the place. Grays and blues, yet there's some yellows and....pink? A shot of **red**?" Her face morphed from concern to seductive in seconds. 

He smiled and snorted lightly, "You're so full of shit."

"I am not!" She scolded lightly, changing her grip to stroke her thumb over his wrist, "You know better than to question what I say about these kinds of things." 

She pulled away as the waitress came up to set two glasses of water on the table. She made their order quickly, a salad for herself and a burger with fries for him. Some things never changed, she always ordered for him and it always ended up with them eating off each other's plates. he knew it was weird, that not many people did that unless they were a couple but it was normal for them and a hard habit to break. Which was why Sara never really took to Rowena when they first met. Rowena had tried to get along with the other woman, but they never really found that common ground. Lucifer and her stopped talking for a long time after the night before his wedding, in which she warned him not to marry her, that it would only end in tears. 

How very right she was.

He took a drink of his water while Rowena checked her hair primly in her compact, "So who's the boy?" She smiled evilly as he sprayed what was in his mouth in shock.

"Jesus Rowena!" He coughed roughly, "Are you trying to kill me?!"

"So there **is** a boy?" She asked gleefully while cupping her chin in her hands.

He rolled his eyes as he tried to get his breathing under control, "No-I don't know-"

"Don't you lie to **me** Lucifer Nicholas Schurley," She admonished while shaking a dainty finger at him, "What's his name?"

He glared at her, "Not that anything is going to become of it, but his name is Sam Winchester. He's Gabe's best friend."

"Sam Winchester?" And was it Lucifer's imagination or did her eyes glimmer ever so slightly? "My my, that's a strong name. Is he cute?"

"He's-" He stopped as the waitress came back with their food, and he smiled at her uncomfortably. He waited until she left to frown at his food, "He's gorgeous."

"Sounds dreamy," she sighed while putting the dressing on her salad, "but you say that as if you wished he weren't."

He breathed a sigh through his nose and took a bite of a fry, "His looks are only a fraction of it. Honestly Rowena, I haven't really felt this way about anyone for a very long time."

"That's a good thing isn't it?" She snagged one of his fries and dipped it in her dressing, "What's the problem here?"

"The problem's me." At her look he shrugged and continued while she ate, "I'm...damaged, Ro. There's too much baggage here to be in any way attractive to a guy like him. Plus, he's a guy."  
She swallowed her mouthful and carefully patted the side of her mouth with a napkin, "I'll admit that was a bit of a surprise, but you and I both know that gender shouldn't matter at all. If you feel the way that you do, then you should go after him, not sit and wallow like a lump."

He pointed a fry at her, "I am **not** wallowing. I'm stating facts here." He fiercely chewed, "It just won't work out."

"Do you think Sara would want you to live the rest of your life alone?"

"Don't bring Sara into this," he warned, practically murdering his fries. The cheeseburger was calling to him but his stomach was lurching at the mention of his dead wife.

"I think its high time I brought Sara into this," She countered and pointed her fork at him when he growled, "No don't get all huffy with me, you know its the truth. Out of all the things I know about Sara is that she loved you dearly and I know she wouldn't want you to put yourself through this. Its been years, love. Its time to let go and live."

He didn't have anything to really say about that, so instead he focused on his lunch. She stole his fries while he nipped some of her salad, and rolled his eyes while cutting his burger in half for her. Honestly, she was ridiculous when she insisted that she was vegetarian while drooling over his burger like a starving animal. 

"For me?" She accepted the half-burger with pleased surprised and Lucifer cracked up.

"Yeah I saw you eyeing it as soon as it was put down. You're not fooling anyone."

She pursed her lips before taking another dainty bite, "I don't generally like meat."

His eyebrow cocked, "Riiight. I've seen what you did to ribs at that barbecue joint a few years back. That shit haunted me." He leaned back in his seat and smirked at her, "And I happen to know you do, in fact, enjoy meat." He bounced his brow at her suggestively.

"Don't be dirty at the dinner table. Its unbecoming."

"Its not dinner time yet, its more like a late lunch table." They grew quiet after that so they could finish their meal, the waitress coming and going, taking their dishes and leaving the bill. Lucifer reached for the bill but Rowena snatched it from his fingers quickly, "Ro, I can pay-"

"I know that, but I was the one that invited **you**. Let a lady be independent." She put her card in the tray with the bill underneath and proceeded to study the man before her once again, "I know that finding someone that essentially 'rocks your world' isn't the only thing that has been bothering you. Share with the class."

Maybe it would do him good to talk to somebody other than his brother about the things he was dreaming about. At the very least Rowena understood nightmares, he knew her sleep had been haunted on a regular basis during childhood. He scrubbed at his face and fiddled with a sugar packet, "I've been having some pretty fucked up dreams. I mean the subject matter alone is...crazy. But what I'm seeing is just-horrific."

"I'm all ears, love."

He tossed the packet away and proceeded to explain his dreams, seeing the look on her face go from openly listening to how one would look like watching a horror movie. Reluctant to experience more but unwilling to look away. "-and then, as if that wasn't enough, like this voice just boomed, 'Sam Winchester has been born'. It was really significant, and I don't recognize the voice, its not mine or anyone that I know, I **know** I've never heard it before." He leaned back and hugged himself, suddenly freezing.

She gazed back at him for a moment before pulling herself together, "Well that's not quite what I thought you were going to say."

He flicked his hands up, "That's it? That's all your going to say?"

She shot him an unimpressed look, "Well forgive me, dearie. Its not every day your best friend tells you he's dreaming that _he's the devil._ " She hissed the last three words lowly across the table at him. She leaned back and slumped elegantly against the booth, "Its no wonder you're dreaming like this. Though it is very vivid and I'm sure very frightening-"

"Understatement." 

"-at any rate," she continued as if he didn't interrupt, "its not that hard to decipher." 

He folded his arms over his chest and slumped in his seat as well, "Go right ahead because none of this makes any sense to me." 

"It won't because you are far too close to it." She straightened up and laid her hand on the table, wiggling her fingers as a request for his hand. Rolling his eyes immaturely he flopped his hand in her's. At her serious look he straightened up and took a breath, "Now about the falling, its obviously your descent into grief. Its not something that ever goes away, your life just seems to grow around it. Sometimes, its lessened and at other times it consumes your every waking moment. Around special events, memories, any little thing will make it feel like its all around you."  
That seemed plausible. "But what about the wings? The burning?" 

"The wings are your freedom, Luci. They always have been. They burned and failed because your grief ripped any sense of freedom from you. You were lost for quite a while. The home you had with Sara, the institution, even your home now has become like the cage you were talking about. All the time you spent hiding away, your anxiety and depression, its all morphed into the worst things you can imagine. Everything about your life and about yourself." She leaned back and stroked his hand comfortingly, "Its plain to see that this _Sam Winchester_ has breathed some kind of new life in you." 

"That's putting a lot on one person though. I should be able to figure out a way to deal with this on my own." 

"Evidently that's not working out for you as you hoped. He's probably an incentive, a gift perhaps?" 

His eyes narrowed, "A gift from who?" 

"The Powers That Be of course," she smiled and winked at him. Anyone else he would have just got up and left, but he couldn't turn his back on Rowena. She gently squeezed his hand, "It would be best to let it flow and let it be. Don't force anything, or your mind will turn on you and make it that much worse." 

He squeezed back, putting forth all of his fear and gratitude in the small gesture. Gazing back into her eyes, he could see that she understood, "I guess its just hard to break old habits. Its like every time something good happens there's always that other shoe waiting to drop." 

"That's the part about life that is difficult, the knowing that there'll be pain but needing that hope that it'll get better." She smiled sadly at him, "I know you don't see it now and might not ever, but I do." 

They talked for a little while more, before the place started really filling up, and Rowena had to take care of some business. They hugged tightly, and she waved sweetly over her shoulder as she bundled into her car. Lucifer stood outside to smoke a cigarette and enjoyed the warmth of the sun, he'd been so cold lately that it was pretty nice to just sit and be for a few moments. Nobody bothered him or even looked twice, and the blonde preferred it that way. Maybe Rowena was right, he needed to let the dreams and their meaning go. Obviously they were horrible because of everything he'd already gone through, and there was no need to decipher anything because it was just going to freak him out more. Maybe he could take the last dream as sign to take that leap with Sam, it was time to move on. 

He looked down at the ring on his finger, watched as it glint in the afternoon sunlight. He didn't really remember much of their wedding day for it was all a blur of activity and nerves but he remembered when she slid it on, how it first caught on his knuckle a little bit because her hands were shaking, and how they giggled because it wasn't just her that was nervous. They stayed up for a long time that night, hands intertwined and rings shimmering in the low light, murmuring softly to one another before they quieted to gaze into each other's eyes. It was the last night that Lucifer felt truly at happy for a long time. Sure, they had moments: glances that held promise, soft touches during the day that eased any ruffled feathers, even nights where they enjoyed each other's company, not to mention every moment of Sara's pregnancy and the birth. Hell, even when they were bickering or arguing good-naturedly there was happiness, and those were the kind of feelings he missed so much and never felt he'd be lucky enough to find again. He took a deep breath in and savored the scent of the flowers he knew Ellen planted outside to make the place that much more inviting and the last remnants of summer in the air. 

It was time to start living his life, and if that meant putting himself out there then that's what he'd have to do. What else could he lose that he hadn't lost already? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and concrit are much appreciated and keeps me safe from MAH BEAST!!! Rowr!

**Author's Note:**

> Every chapter will begin with a song title that inspired each chapter. Go ahead and listen to share in my madness. Comments and concrit feed me. Enjoy :)


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